Can I be angry at God?

For today’s Theology Thursday installment I want to ask, is it ok to be angry at God?  There are times in our faith journey when we just feel angry.  We don’t doubt God or question His existence, in fact, we are sure He exists and we are angry and Him.  Angry about something He has done or not done to or for us.  Angry about the way our life is going.  Angry about how someone else’s life is going, or just plain angry because it is that kind of year and nothing seems to be going right.

We have several examples from in Scripture of people who were angry at God.  David, Job, Jonah, and Habakuk all get angry at God.  Anger is a human emotion that we all experience.  People usually have one of two responses to anger.  Either they hold it in, or explode.  Since I have a 2 year old, who, like most toddlers, has not learned to handle her emotions yet, I get to see and experience lots of little explosions.  Not being able to open something, or do something she wants to that we won’t let her do (usually because it would not end well or without some bruises for her or one of our pets).  However, as we get older we either learn to handle these little explosions in a much more mature way, or we just bottle it all up inside.  There are lots and lots of studies that show the destructiveness of holding anger in and bottling it up.  Eventually that bottle gets full and explodes in a much more dramatic and destructive way. 

So, since we are broken humans, with human emotions and feelings, it is understandable that we would get angry with God sometimes.  It is ok to be angry with God, He can handle it.  But we should never let that dominate our relationship with Him.  When we are angry with God we often open up to Him about some of our deepest fears and anxieties.  We tell God what is really bothering us, and why, and those things are good!  Instead of holding it inside, God wants to hear what is bothering us, what our fears, anxieties and hurts are.  God wants to hear about every part of us.  It is amazing how freeing it can be to just let it all out and get is all off your chest.  Afterward, you often find that your relationship with God is strengthened because you were honest, shared your heart, and He is faithful.

Anger with God is not ok when it dominates our lives and/or our relationship with Him.  Anger can draw us closer to Him, but it can also push us farther away if we let it fester and hold on to a grudge against Him.  We need to be honest with God and tell Him what is really bothering us, know that He hears us, and then ask Him to help us move on in trust and faith.

“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.   The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations.  The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.” Psalm 145:8-9, 13-14

God bless, Rev. Liz Arakelian, www.LivngHopeEC.org