BEING ANGRY WITH GOD – Part 2 of 2

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.” (Psalm 34:17-19 NIV)

God understands our anger, and when we pray, it’s a good thing to tell Him what we honestly feel. But sustained bitterness toward the Lord who loves us is irrational and unwise.

In fact, in 1999 the “Journal of Health Psychology” reported an interesting study. Social psychologist Julie Joula-Exline and her team of researchers found a link between anger toward God and anxiety and depression. Those who couldn’t get beyond their resentment toward God were more likely to experience problems with negative emotions. The good news, according to Juola-Exline, was that “those who were able to forgive God for a specific, powerful incident reported lower levels of anxiety and depression.”

“Forgiving God” is a term I’d rather avoid. It implies that God has done something wrong that requires our pardon. We should underline the statement that by perfection of His nature, God will not and cannot do wrong. What seems like misdeed is mystery. The important thing to remember is that His love and compassion are perfect, unbroken, and forever. 

-- David Jeremiah in “Keep the Faith: How to Stand Strong in a World Turned Upside Down”

#5952

BEING ANGRY WITH GOD – Part 1 of 2

"Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.”  (Psalm 4:4 NKJV)

Author John Killinger tells about the manager of a minor league baseball team who got so frustrated with his center fielder’s performance that he jerked him out of the game and played the position himself. The first hard-hit ball that came to the manager took a bad hop and smashed into his mouth. His next play was a high fly ball that he lost in the sun -- until it smacked him in the forehead. The third ball that came his way was a hard line drive that flew between his hands and popped him in the eye. Furious, the manager ran off the field to the dugout, grabbed the center fielder by the shirt and shouted, “You’ve got center field so messed up, even I can’t play it!” (From “750 Engaging Illustrations for Pastors, Teachers, and Writers”)

When it comes to the difficult seasons of our lives, God is the subject of more than His share of fingerpointing. A seventeen-year-old accused of burning down a church in Nashville, Indiana explained at his trial that he took a cigarette lighter to the nearly century-old building because, in his words, “I was angry with God.”

One woman, having lost both her husband and son in separate accidents, posted a notice on the internet that declared: “I am ANGRY at God. I am VERY ANGRY!” She dared to say out loud what you and I really feel sometimes. When our world is turned upside down, it’s easy to believe that God is the culprit.

God understands our anger, and when we pray, it’s a good thing to tell Him what we honestly feel. But sustained bitterness toward the Lord who loves us is irrational and unwise. 

-- David Jeremiah in “Keep the Faith: How to Stand Strong in a World Turned Upside Down”

#5951