Why Me, God?

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Is it okay to get angry with God?

Yes.

Next question? (Or shall we go ahead and end the lesson?)

Yes, it is okay to get angry with God – but this is not the place where you want to stay for ever.

There are reasons about the okay-ness of getting angry – but several more about why we need to move beyond that anger.

One reason about the okay-ness with being angry has to do with the nature of God, Himself and the words of the scriptures, particularly the Psalms.

As to God, Himself: God is the Creator of all there is, was, or ever will be. That’s big. Bigger than we can possibly imagine. God is Creator of everything but because nothing can compare with that concept, we sound like babbling fools when we say it. Think about it: Creator of everything. Creator of everything.

The God who can create everything on earth and in all the many galaxies is certainly powerful enough to withstand a blast of our anger.

That is not to say that we cannot wound God with our anger. Look at what we did to His Son, Jesus of Nazareth! We mistreated, tortured and killed the God who was human – and if Christ Jesus is as much God as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit are said to be – then we certainly can wound God with our anger.

But we will not overcome God with our anger. (That doesn’t mean it is wise or noble or always useful to be angry with God, just that sometimes people do get angry and it is not the end of the world.)

And who ever said that life was nice anyway – so nice, and sweet and easy that there would never be reasons to get angry? Not the scriptures, that’s for sure, and most especially the Psalms.

Yes, the scriptures talk about blessing and love and hope and forgiveness and compassion and resurrection and the beauty of living – but that’s not the whole picture, is it? Part of the wondrous universality of the scripture is that it leaves nothing out. Its characters are often as not villains rather than saints, and the truth is unvarnished and often unflattering.

The Psalms are great, in part, because they catalogue every conceivable emotion. Frustration, reverence, gratitude, envy, disappointment, hopelessness, hopefulness, sorrow, vengefulness, forgiveness, anger. It’s all there.

Sometimes we just need to vent, to express all our feelings so that we could begin to move forward and get over it

The Bible is our holy book but it is not always a nice book because it is a mirror which reflects who we really are – and who we might be if we move closer or further away from God.

But that’s not the point: The point is that life is sometimes messy, sometimes painful, sometimes disappointing, sometimes tragic – and when bad things happen, we sometimes get angry – at ourselves, at our loved ones, at our God.

And let‘s note this about that: Our emotions are a powerful force.

Swallow them and they will probably make you sick.

Act on them thoughtlessly, and you’ll do loads of damage.

Let them out in appropriate ways, and you make within yourself a spiritual space in which healing is possible.

Who better to cry out to than the God who created and loves us! Listen to the psalmist:
I yell out to my God, I yell with all my might, I yell at the top of my lungs. He listens. I found myself in trouble and went looking for my Lord; my life was an open wound that wouldn't heal. When friends said, "Everything will turn out all right," I didn't believe a word they said. I remember God—and shake my head. I bow my head—then wring my hands. I'm awake all night—not a wink of sleep; I can't even say what's bothering me. Psalm 77:1-4 MSG

The psalmist goes on to say: Will the Lord walk off and leave us for good? Will he never smile again? Is his love worn threadbare? Has his salvation promise burned out? Has God forgotten his manners? Has he angrily stalked off and left us? "Just my luck," I said. "The High God goes out of business just the moment I need him." (Verses 7-10). But then he kinda’ switches gears: O God! Your way is holy! No god is great like God! You're the God who makes things happen; you showed everyone what you can do— (Verses 13-15)

Here it’s not necessarily anger being expressed – but it is pouring out one’s complaint to the Lord. It is a lament: The writer is in pain. To whom can he turn but the Lord God Almighty? And what does the psalmist seek? Comfort. Relief. Healing. He doesn’t want to remain in this condition one single moment longer!

This takes us back to the beginning of this lesson: Yes, it is okay to get angry with God – but this is not the place where you want to stay for ever. Not too smart!

Pastor John Hagee did this devotional on subject: “You can get bitter – or you can get better!” He gets pretty harsh with us.

If you’re thrown in jail like Paul, write the book of Romans. If you’re beaten and chained in prison, sing in the midnight hour. If you’re knocked down, get up and get back in the fight. Quit whining about your circumstances. Take up your cross. Put your hand to the plow and don’t look back. Put on the whole armor of God—and fight. Arise and do exploits in the name of our God.

He goes on to say that Satan throws a bunch of lies at us, one being this:
Life must be fair. That’s a joke. Life is not fair. Life never has been fair. Life never will be fair. Does that tear you up? Get over it. Some are born brilliant. Some don’t learn to wave bye-bye until they’re 18. What’s fair about that? Some are born beautiful. And then there are the rest of us.

It’s not what happens to you. It’s how you respond to what happens to you. You can get bitter or you can get better. You can wallow in your self-pity or you can get off your duff and turn the lemon that life has given you into lemonade. It is your choice. You can rise to the highest destiny God has for you or you can wallow in some cesspool of self-made agony. I’m saying to you in Jesus’ name, whatever your past, get over it. You can be a new creature in Christ Jesus. John Hagee

Whatever your fear, your hurt, your worry, your pain – if you feel cheated by life: Pour out your heart to God, who has the power to take it on the chin and the compassion to lift you back up again!

Let go of the pain, the anger, the hurt, and let God heal your life.

I’ve personally seen it. I’ve personally experienced it. I personally know it works!

Let God heal your life.