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.
Yesterday, when I came home from work, I found our cat, Sophie, on the floor. At first, I though a nail had gotten caught in the carpet, but it was much worse, she had no feeling in her back legs. She was almost 18 years old and had been in failing health. Since January, we have counted each day with her as a blessing, as she had a lung mass, which medication cleared up. She had been on thyroid medication for awhile and getting skinnier. I prayed we would not have to take her to the vet and have her put down like 4 out of the 5 other cats we have had over the years. I bargained with God about giving up this and that if only He would save us this anguish. We did take her to a vet and she is gone and I buried her next to her sister out in the backyard. We have been home today helping each other cope, my wife and I. I am adamant that another pet I do not want, but she will want another. God, please forgive me for being mad, and give me the peace only you can and let this not be a contention between my wife and myself. I have had a rock in the pit of my stomach since last night and need it gone.
I’m tired of feeling bad. Of feeling hopeless. I lost both parents within a year of each other, I have lost best friends to death as well, I have had people who I thought cared about me leave and I continue to try and do the right thing in life and keep God in my heart and in my mind. I feel isolated and alone. There are many nights when I lay down to sleep that I hope I never wake up in the morning. I try to leave it in God’s hands but I grow tired of seeing the same results and that joy that was once in my life is gone. I feel like I’m being punished for my bad choices in life or that I’m just not on his list of priorities. I’m trying to hang on but I’m getting closer to the end of that rope everyday. They teach history and math in school, they even teach how stars are born. But they never show you how to deal with depression.
I’m of the belief that his does not care about some, if he even exists. I lost my job unjustly, haven’t found a new one, am broke, and about to lose my carm in spite of “praying” and NOTHING happening as usual. My lady friend chides me for not going to church with her, but why bother? Nothing comes of it but a wasted 2 hours I could have been sleeping or looking for a job. This is ridiculous, I’m too old for this, & I want to kill myself.
Hans, You are going through a really tough time that seems like there is no end to the pain and suffering you are enduring. You feel betrayed and forsaken. These are feelings and sometimes feelings become stronger than the truth. The truth is God loves you and he will never abandon you. He feels the pain you are feeling. He feels the hopelessness you are feeling. Continue to tell Him what you are feeling. No matter how old you are, you are God’s child and He does not want you to hurt. He wants you to endure and overcome your struggles. You are strong, you can overcome. You can do this! Do not give up. Your life matters and the Lord believes in you and so do we. We have some resources we can give you to help you with these thoughts. We have a partner that you can help you through your thoughts of suicide. We are emailing you with some information to help you so please check your email. If you need someone to talk to right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1.800.273.8255 or chat online with them at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/. You can reach the Crisis Text Line 24/7 by texting “START” to 741-741 too.
Here is a list of additional suicide prevention resources https://www.thehopeline.com/suicide-prevention-resources
Perhaps he just doesn’t care. Everyone wants to paint a pretty picture but have you considered the possibility that if you’re God and you dont like something you can just change it. To quote Habakkuk, “how long must we suffer while the wicked continues to prosper”. Only to get some dissertation on how folks were put on slippery slopes. How does any of that help me? Or so long winded speak about how he laid the foundations of the earth etc. That wasn’t my question, I didnt ask how God made the earth I asked for his help. In the end you have to wonder why? How many sacrifices must we make while God glorifies or otherwise ignores us like an absentee landlord. It’s funny how we’re condemned by God for wanting a hope yet he sure let’s the wicked have everything they want. How do any of you know that God won’t forgive them in the end? What reward in heaven should we expect to receive in the next life for our sacrifices here. Essentially you’re advocating for us to stop complaining and suffer in silence while denying us any right to experience or react to pain. In the end, if it really mattered he’d intervene as he did in Egypt for the Jews. Instead we’re constantly told we’re wicked unworthy fodder and to stop complaining. You know instead of all the wishy-washy garbage God could….you know….just speak. But I digress, the only people God seems to be “helping” is the wicked. If he’s really in charge then perhaps he could get off his butt and start helping those that care enough to try instead of letting everyone who doesnt even give him a second thought run rough shot over the rest of us. Just a thought…
Occasionally God will ask biblical, yet difficult things of us that wreck our plans and leave us in a worse place than we started for a period of time. This is nothing to do with some ailment, bonus we didn’t receive, or seemingly random tragedy. This is a much more personal disappointment as it comes as a directive straight from God to us specifically via the Holy Spirit, prayer and confirmation from others. I don’t think you can blame that one on Satan, or can you chalk it up to something you expected God to give you. I consider it something directly from God you did not expect Him to ask of you, not some extenuating circumstance indirectly linked to Him. This makes for a tougher pill to swallow.
The quote on #5 is incorrect. God allows things He knows will
be too much for us and it’s only through relying on Him that we overcome those trials. He delights in doing the impossible through us but we have to acknowledge that we are not enough on our own or apart from Him. Apart from God we are weak and evil.
I constantly pray to God as I cannot do anything without Him. I work on an outbound collections call centre team and I really do not like it. All the other advisors are able to secure payments except me. They do not even pray to God for anything, but everything comes smoothly to them. I pray, every minute of the day, but still my prayer to even secure a small amount as a payment never, ever gets answered. I will never be able to achieve any target at this rate. Earlier, all my prayers were answered but not now, though…I can’t even find a better job that pays more, only ones that pay less….I really can’t understand what has happened.