Get Good & Mad at God?
It is important to be honest with God, even when you're angry with Him. That's what had happened to me on my den floor. I had so much stress and anger welling up inside of me that I couldn't contain it. When that happens, the Lord will never respond with, "I had no idea you were that angry," or "You're hurting my
feelings. Please be more careful." In fact, God may be waiting for you to spill it out, to empty yourself of all your negative thoughts about what's happening to you. God knows you feel cheated and He wants you to get that destructive feeling out. If you haven't given vent to your feelings, I suggest you do so right now. If you need to beat on a pillow or scream at the top of your lungs, go ahead! Permission granted! If
you try to hold the anger in, it will find a way to seep out in other ways, or it can cause damage to your body. Major league baseball pitcher Dave Dravecky remembers how he was affected by anger. On live TV everyone saw him pitch his last ball as his shoulder dislocated again with a second bout of cancer. He says. "I didn't deal with it well-I was miserable and unpleasant to be around. I lashed out in random acts of anger that had no relation to what was happening around me."' Any negative turn of events in your life can bring about the same type of resentment: finding out you have a special-needs child; the breakup of your marriage or your parents marriage; having a friend diagnosed with AIDS. There are many similar situations that can produce anger deep aside, and that anger must be vented.
GIVE YOURSELF A GOOD TALKING TO
In many of the Psalms, including Psalm 42:5, David spends a great deal of time reminding himself of God's goodness. When David was going through a bad time-and he went through many bad times-he needed to remind Himself that God loved him and would see him through. You and I need to do the same thing. I've developed this habit of talking to myself - hopefully not out in public where other people could be watching me. Whenever I have an emotional or physical setback, I stop in my tracks and have a conversation with myself:
Why are you so discouraged, 0 my soul?
You have a connection with God.
You know God will work this out for your good.
Hasn't God been faithful to you?
As I looked back on my experience, I am amazed at how much it mirrored the experience of David as he went through
the entire range of emotions in Psalm 77. At first, he was angry and confused.
I cried out to God for help;
l cried out to God to hear me....
"Will the Lord reject us forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
Has God forgotten to be merciful?"
verses l, 7-8
Then, suddenly, David began to remember the truth about God.
I will remember the deeds of the Lord:
Yes, l will remember your miracles of long ago.
l will meditate on all your works
and consider all your mighty deeds.
Your ways, 0 God, are holy.
What god is so great as our God?
verses 11-13
When I remind myself of what God has done for me, and when I hear others tell of what God has done for them, l am encouraged. I don't know what you're going through, but I do know that God is real, that He loves you, and, if you cling to Him, He will see you through.
Right. Why should we think the Lord would be surprised at us? For many of us I bet God’s been waiting for you to let it out. Dump your disappointment, get out your grief. If we bury our pain it’s still alive and separating us from the Master. He encouraged us to walk in the light of transparency and keep short accounts.
When I lay on my den floor crying out to God for the unfairness I was stumbling through, I let it all hang out (good thing the windows were closed!) I told Him how disillusioned I was over recent events — ala the recent loss of my husband Hal to cancer, my own cancer diagnosis and subsequent surgeries and treatment. That morning an oncologist told me I probably had a secondary cancer, and it was the straw that broke me.
As I yelled out to God, pounding my fist on the coffee table, I remembered Jacob. When he wrestled with God he got bent out of joint too (and wound up limping). But I see wrestling with God over our grievances is a necessary part of being healed.
Don’t think it’ll all just ”go away” someday! No, we’ve got to process it out. Is it your turn now? Jesus had His turn in the Garden of Gethsemane. Have your moment of truth and pour the negative out to God so He can fill you up with His presence! It works!
