By Carey Nieuwhof, Teaching Pastor
So maybe you're angry with God. We all get there sometimes. (Yup, even pastors do.)
If you don't consider yourself a Christian, your anger might be what's keeping you from trusting Christ and becoming a Christian.
If you are a Christian, you probably feel guilty for feeling angry with God. And like anger in any relationship, our frustration can get in the way of our relationship. Maybe you feel distant or detached as a result.
So what do you do when you're angry with God, other than stay angry?
Here are 3 things that have helped me.
1. Talk to God About It
So can you talk to God about how angry you are with him?
Yes you can.
In the Old Testament, Moses did. He was upset with the fact that God had called him into leadership and things were going so poorly. Rather than walk away, quit or talk to other people about it, he prayed about it. You can read the prayer here.
So why doesn't God just smite us if we're angry with him and we tell him?
Think about it. If someone you loved was angry with you, wouldn't you rather talk to that person rather than have them simply walk away from the relationship?
Because that's what happens with anger. If you don't talk to God about it, you end up walking away.
So talk to God. He's listening. And he hasn't walked away.
[bctt tweet=”God would rather have you talk to him about your anger than see you walk away.” via=”no”]
2. Remember God's faithfulness in the past
The good news about your faith is that God has a long track record—longer than your life or mine. It goes back thousands of years.
My guess is you've seen God be faithful to you in the past. Remember that.
Why?
Because God’s faithfulness in the past gives us confidence of his faithfulness in the future.
That's one of the things I love personally about our gatherings on Sunday morning. When we sing together, when we pray together and when we listen to the Word of God together, I remember that I'm part of a much bigger story God is writing where God has shown his faithfulness not just in my life, but throughout history.
He's been faithful in the past. He'll be faithful in the future.
Some days I just need to remember that.
[bctt tweet=”God’s faithfulness in the past gives us confidence of his faithfulness in the future.” via=”no”]
3. Don't give up
I'm convinced that people give up way too easily. In fact, I think many times we give up moments before our critical breakthrough.
If you think of your life as a story, you're somewhere in the middle. This is not the end.
Often, when I get discouraged, I think that this must be the end, or that this is how the story will end.
Wrong.
God writes better stories than we do, and I have to trust him for an ending that I can't see.
Often the difference between success and failure in life is deciding to get back up one more time than you've been knocked down.
Life knocks you down. God picks you up. For real.
[bctt tweet=”Life knocks you down. God picks you up.” via=”no”]
Let's Explore This Some More This Weekend
I realize a short blog post isn't going to solve all your anger issues with God.
But we'd love to talk more.
Right now we're in a series at our campuses called I Can't Believe in a God Who….. It's all about the major objections people have to Christianity.
I'm preaching on why a good God allows suffering, why God doesn't seem to be clear about his will for our lives, why the Old Testament seems so violent, why so many Christian are hypocrites and many other topics. You know…the stuff people get angry about.
I'd love for you to join us at our campuses in Orillia and Barrie on Sunday at 9 or 10:30. If you're a first time guest, here are all the details and what you need to know.
Can't make it? If you're out of town, you can join us for Connexus Live Online, which streams our entire Sunday morning service live to your phone, tablet or computer. Plus we take live prayer requests and answer your questions during the services at 9:00 and 10:30 EDT. Check it out.
Oh, and for all of us who have a friend who's angry with God, why not invite them to join you this Sunday?
In the meantime, I hope these three things help.
What helps you when you're angry with God? Leave a comment.
