Are You Mad At God?
I’ve got to believe at some point in your life, you’ve raised your fist and shouted out in anger at God. Most of us have done it.
Maybe your parent died, or you had a friend get seriously sick, or even killed. Maybe you have cancer, or some kind of handicap. These and other serious issues enter our lives, making it easy to target God for our pain.
Someone described anger this way: Anger is a human emotional response to situations that are either out of our control or out of our ability to understand, or both.
Have you ever wondered why we get so angry at God? That’s what I want to talk about, because I can assure you that while God allows us to cry out to Him, He doesn’t want us stuck in rage towards Him.
What are some of reasons why we get mad at God?
The main reason we get so upset with God is because we think He owes us something. This usually happens in two ways:
1) We don’t get something we want.
Have you ever really wanted a relationship with that perfect girl or guy? Or you really wanted that job you knew for certain would be perfect for you? When these things didn’t work out, you no doubt found yourself hurt and disappointed. Our first impulse is almost always to blame God.
Daphne wrote: When we get mad at God it is really like a 2-year-old throwing a fit because Mommy or Daddy won’t let them stick their finger in the light socket. The 2-year-old can only see what he/she wants, the parent sees the bigger picture, and the danger. When we are mad at God we show our immaturity, ignorance, and our shortsightedness.
2) We get something we DON’T expect.
When something bad happens to someone we love, or to us, or someone gets really sick, or even dies we wonder why these things have to happen. We think of God as a big genie in the sky who should only give us good things and prevent the bad.
I received a comment from someone who said: Some people wonder why their lives end up being a certain way, and they blame God for it, because if God really cared for them, then He wouldn’t let them suffer.
For more on reconciling the goodness of God and bad things in the world read these blogs from organizations we partner with:
Where is God in the midst of tragedy?
How Can God Allow So Much Evil and Suffering?
We think, “If God is so loving, why am I in so much pain? Is He punishing me for no reason by allowing horrible things to happen to me, or the people I love, or even the world?”
We think God owes us something.
Both of these situations can make a person feel like God doesn’t care about us. After all the prayers we’ve prayed, God still didn’t heal your brother’s cancer, or get you the job you wanted.
Joe wrote:I have to admit that I am angry at God. The more I have prayed for help and guidance, the more I get nothing. He is ignoring me. It’s His right to do with me what He will, but I am frustrated because I have done what I think I am supposed to do and yet no response, no help.
We get angry when we think God owes us something. When in fact, God owes us nothing.
We get angry when we think God owes us something. When in fact, God owes us nothing. #madatGod Click To TweetA couple other reasons:
- We get angry with God when we don’t know all the facts. It’s so easy to think we know everything, but we can only see a very small part of the picture.
- We get angry at God when we see others claim to know Him, and then act like hypocrites. It’s easy to blame God for the faults of others.
These are just a few reasons why people get angry with God. Of course, there are many more.
How to get over being mad at God – Know what you can expect from Him.
If we think God is going to be our genie in a bottle, and make everything good in our lives, we’re going to be mad at God wh
en something bad happens. Having faith in God is not insurance against hardships.
In the Bible Jesus says- “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
So what can we expect from God?
- His Peace – If we trust in Him and believe in Him we will have peace even in the hard times. Do you want to know how to find this peace? Begin Your Journey To Peace with this great resource from Peace With God.
- God Wins in the End – This world is full of sin, hate and death and that comes from the enemy, Satan, not from God. However, for all those who believe in Jesus there is glorious, eternal life in heaven.
- His Comfort – He promises to be near those who are hurting. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)
- His love – He promises His love for us. “God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (1 John 4:16) He loves your heart and is with you in the midst of whatever your circumstances.
- Life with greater meaning and significance – If we got everything we thought we wanted, we’d be spoiled and selfish. God is a wise father who knows what we need to become the best men and women we can be.
What can you do when you are mad at God?
1) Tell him how you feel.
The best thing you can do is tell God what you’re angry about. He wants to hear from you about what you’re thinking and feeling. Tell God honestly where you are at. God knows what’s going on inside of you, but He wants to you be able to come to Him with honesty and openness.
2) Place the blame for evil on Satan not on God.
God is good and Holy and perfect and loving. He is the opposite of evil. You may be mad at God because he didn’t prevent the bad from happening to you, but he is not to blame for the bad thing, Satan is. Jesus says in the Bible “The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” (John 10:10)
3) Pray for courage, strength and peace to make it through the day.
Betsy wrote: I find it easiest to leave everything in God’s hands and pray that he will care for me and do what’s BEST for me, not what I want, but what is best. It’s very hard, and I have trouble with that at times, but that is my overall goal.
4) Trust that God will use a hardship for something beyond what you can see.
So can God use for everything we go through for a greater purpose? I believe He can. Ask God for understanding to see the bigger picture. Over time, you may see more clearly a how God used your trial for good.
Jill wrote honestly: I feel like I have a daily tug of war with God. I know everything happens for a reason, but when you’re lonely, broke, bored, and feel helpless, it is really hard to say, okay God, I know you’re doing this for a reason.
Betsy echoed Jill’s thoughts: After many trials I learned that it is best to accept what God has done and believe that it is for my good, whether I like it or not.
Believing He does have a reason for everything we go through helps us to trust that something bigger is going on here, even more than we can probably understand. But I’m not God, He is. And I’m just going to trust that He knows what’s going on with me.
5) Get involved in other people’s lives.
A lot of our anger and frustration in life comes from thinking about ourselves too much – we think about the way things are and how different they are from how we wish they’d be.
Yevgenia wrote: One of the best things I have learned while going through this is God won’t put you through something unless he knows you will be able to overcome it. Another way I have used these things in a positive way is by using my experiences to help others who are going through similar things in their lives.
The best way to find joy and peace from the hardships of life is to get involved in other people’s lives. Take an interest in other people and their circumstances. Share in their joy and their pain.
6) Decide to have a relationship with God.
The Bible says the only way to know God is by knowing His son, Jesus. Jesus was basically God with skin-on and gave us a way to know who He is, His love, and how be in relationship with Him.
The Bible says the only way to know God is by knowing His son, Jesus. #madatGod Click To TweetLucas wrote: Sometimes only God will know why He has allowed a trial and sometimes He will reveal its purpose to us. Sometimes it’s because He is preparing us for a greater thing. Sometimes it is to show to us how little we truly love Him, and to allow us to change. Trials give us an opportunity to build our faith in a way nothing else can.
How have you dealt with your own personal anger toward God? I’d love to hear from you. Please let me know how you got over being upset with God.
Do you have questions about who God is? Check out TheHopeLine’s free eBook: Understanding a Relationship with God.
I too am mad @ God and yet I KNOW Him, I don’t just believe because I was raised that way, I have been physically touched (& I mean in a visceral way) I have seen His miracle with my husband’s cancer. After my husband passed away ALL of my prayers and conversations with God were centered on my 3 children. My oldest son & his wife (in their 50’s) are now full time parents to 4(age 2 to 11) grandchildren, they need His strength, guidance, and health to finish this journey. My daughter who suffers from competing health issues, pancreatic blockage, resulting in 50% removal, eventual burn out & now Type 1 diabetic plus hemochromatosis and has been giving when she had nothing to give to others with her time, her home, her food, her clothing and all she wants is some PEACE with her second husband who is now a statistic oxycotin addict from a back injury. She can only do so much heavy lifting in her marriage and she has prayed as have I and there is no end in sight and she can not hold on much longer…..WHERE IS GOD right now, where is He?
Sister Rintha,
I don’t have the answers, but I care for you and I truly understand how you feel. I have known our God for over two decades and I have felt forsaken by him for much of that time. Even though I know not to trust my feelings, the pain is still real and sometimes it screams so loud that I lose my grip on the truth and I slip and fall.
We both know all the pat answers: “we have the hope of eternal life in Heaven”, “it’ll all work together for our good”, “we need to be thankful for the blessings we have”, yadda yadda yadda….
But there is one thing that consoles my heart more than anything else can, and that is God’s wisdom and intelligence displayed in creation. When God appeared to Job in a tornado (tornados fascinate me), he pointed Job to all these things so as to say, “look Job, I’ve got you son. I suspended the earth in open space. I set the boundaries of the vast oceans. These things took great knowledge and understanding that you can’t even begin to comprehend. That same knowledge and understanding is involved in how I oversee all of the details of your life.”
Biochemistry and astrophysics have always fascinated me. The way the electrons of an atom swirl around the nucleus at nearly the speed of light, the way the gravity exerted by the sheer mass of the sun holds the Earth in a perfect balance with its centrifugal force as we revolve around the sun. The examples are endless. His intelligence is demonstrated from the most infinitesimal subatomic particle, all the way up to the vast, immeasurable expanse of the entire universe. This is God’s answer to our great father of the faith- Job, who is our example of perseverance in the midst of great suffering and injustice.
Dear sister, I pray that the glory of His infinite wisdom and understanding would shine through everything you see, everywhere you go, both for you, your daughter, and her husband who needs hope too in the midst of his opiate dependency and back pain.
I love you sister, and I hope my words encourage you not to lose heart, though the suffering is long and your heart aches with waves of grief that only God knows.
There is a song that touches my heart deeply by Michael Card called “The Silence of God”. Another one is “You’re gonna be okay” sung by Jenn Johnson of Bethel Music. I hope you listen to these beautiful songs and are encouraged. I look forward to hugging you in Heaven as we enjoy our reward.
I believe in God, in Jesus but I’m honestly mad or disappointed at them, right now. I have played by the rules; I have tried my best to live and do as He commands. No, I’m not perfect but I remember His words when I feel like “not being good”. I put my other cheek, I forgive as many times as Jesus would have to, I always ask, what would Jesus do? And try to do as He did. But I feel that my prayers are unheard. I feel there’s no sense in talking to Him if He’s not willing to listen. I know He’s no genie. I know it’s His will, not ours.., but where is the peace of His presence in our lives, in our families? What I ask of Him is so small, compared to his magnificence. I feel I need a timeout but I still fear to offend Him.
Carla, We commend you for being a faithful servant to the Lord, even when you feel like not being good. That takes a lot of strength and He knows the struggle you are going through. The Lord will never abandon you, even if he seems distant at times. During your darkest moments, continue to hold on to the HOPE that Jesus is walking with you and nothing can separate you from His love. God is in control This is the same God who created the entire universe. He knows what he is doing. And He loves you and is holding you in the palm of His hand. We have to trust that He is doing what is best for us and that He will take care of us. We encourage you to continue talking about what you’re going through. How about signing up for an email mentor. It would be a woman that you can email back and for with for as long as like about anything. To sign up for an email mentor go to: https://www.thehopeline.com/emailmentors/ Also, would you like to be part of a community that is praying LIVE for you on Facebook? You can find out more here: https://www.thehopeline.com/theprayershow/