I offered sympathy and support earlier today for a neighbour whose partner had been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and was undergoing weekly chemotherapy treatment in Owen Sound.
"He's doing all right under the circumstances," she said, "but it has certainly turned our life upside down and I'm very angry most of the time -- although I don't know what I'm angry about."
I knew all too well whereof she spoke and tried to assure her that it was perfectly natural to be angry, even with God.
"God certainly understands your angst and is more than willing to forgive you," I offered with all the assurance I could muster. She nodded agreement but I detected a note of surprise in her reaction, like someone actually understood what she was experiencing.
When you acknowledge anger within yourself it is always accompanied by a degree of guilt, like "I shouldn't be feeling this way but I can't help it," I empathized.
So, is it ever OK to give God a piece of our mind? Is it OK to cry frustrated tears or shake angry fists? Is this irreverent? How about a better question? Is it ever OK to not be brutally honest with God?
Honesty is important in every relationship. We cannot hide away our true selves and expect to have healthy interactions with anyone. If we are Christians, we are in a relationship with God. As with all relationships, we will get frustrated, we will misunderstand, and yes, we will get angry.
God knows every part of us. He knows we cannot possibly understand everything He is doing in our lives. There is no one else who can best understand how we can misunderstand.
When we are angry, the last person we want to face is the very one who frustrated us, but the worst action we can take is to cower away from God, stewing in our anger. I am convinced that He always wants to meet with us, regardless of how we feel towards him.
My best advice is to be willing to work through the frustration with God, not against him. Come with balled up fists and clenched teeth, but still come.
When we choose to run toward God, not away from him, we still need to fight the temptation to gloss over our real emotions. If we are feeling angry, frustrated or impatient, say so. Get it off your chest.
Being completely honest with how we feel is a way to express our faith. By not hiding how we really feel, we are trusting the Lord with our hardest and often the most tender parts of us. The more honest we are, the more room we give God to work in and through us.
But beware: Bitterness starts with anger. While it is not sinful to feel angry, allowing that anger to be unchecked and lodged away can lead to nasty, long-term effects. Anger can be dealt with quickly, but bitterness is anger that has taken up residence in our lives and wrecks us from the inside out.
Scripture warns us to get rid of bitterness, and with good reason (Ephesians 4:31). No one wants to be a bitter person. No one wants to be around a bitter person.
When we are angry, the last person we want to face is the very one who frustrated us, but the worst action we can take is to cower away from God, stewing in our anger. I am convinced that He always wants to meet with us, regardless of how we feel towards him.
My best advice is to be willing to work through the frustration with God, not against him. Come with balled up fists and clenched teeth, but still come.
When we choose to run toward God, not away from him, we still need to fight the temptation to gloss over our real emotions. If we are feeling angry, frustrated or impatient, say so. Get it off your chest.
Being completely honest with how we feel is a way to express our faith. By not hiding how we really feel, we are trusting the Lord with our hardest and often the most tender parts of us. The more honest we are, the more room we give God to work in and through us.
But beware: Bitterness starts with anger. While it is not sinful to feel angry, allowing that anger to be unchecked and lodged away can lead to nasty, long-term effects. Anger can be dealt with quickly, but bitterness is anger that has taken up residence in our lives and wrecks us from the inside out.
Scripture warns us to get rid of bitterness, and with good reason (Ephesians 4:31). No one wants to be a bitter person. No one wants to be around a bitter person.
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