Angry with God, as a Christian I Understand

I have a daughter, and I love her very much.  I’m not quite sure she understands quite yet, just how much I do love her; because sometimes being a dad, means you have to chose ‘doing right’ over ‘being right’.  During the course of her life, there have been many times when she was angry at me, angry because I would not let her have what she wanted, angry because I would not let her go out, angry because I would not let her stay up, angry because I made would not let her skip school; angry because I will not sign off on her choices, angry because I said ‘NO’.  I have been thinking about that a lot lately and it lead me to ask this question: 

Does anyone have a valid reason for being angry with God?

My answer to that question, as well as my thoughts about “anger with God” probably depend on the extent to which I am inclined to “be right” or to “do right” as a way of life.  If my answer is, “of course I am never right to be angry with God,” then invariably the next question becomes“, but what if I am?”  Or what if I really feel that I do have a valid reason to be angry with God?  God promises to always be with us, but what if it does not feel as if He is; what if like Jesus I cry out “My God My God, why have you forsaken me?”  Matthew 27:46 

Perhaps there are some of you who have lived such blessed, joyful lives, that you have never felt that anguish.  While there are others who morn the loss of their child, their marriage, their home, their career, their health, their dreams.  What of them, do they have a valid reason to be angry with God?  

Anger is an emotion, a reaction to a situation, as is grief, fear, despair, disappointment.  If it is okay to express grief, fear despair and disappointment to God, then why not anger?  Has my daughter on occasion had a reason to be angry with me?  Yes, because I’m the one who drew up the rules, I was the one who said no, and I understand what that means.  However, on those times when she was angry with me, it did not change my answer, nor did it alter the fact that I loved her with every ounce of my being.

 

So the next time you are thinking about trying to hide the things you are going through emotionally because you do not want to hear people tell you that you shouldn’t feel that way, because you aren’t trusting God enough, is to deny your humanness and the truth.  Moreover, those people are not being real, honest, or Christian.  If you find yourself angry with God, I picture Him looking upon you, smiling, nodding His head, saying I understand.  God is big enough and loves you enough to handle it.