I recently read a post of a man who is very angry. I don’t want in any way for this to become about him on this discussion because he and his wife are in pain and I think it’s very understandable. Please pray for them.
Last night I began to think about that anger.
Anger is an emotion that God gave us. Anger is an emotion that God showed us. We must have anger for a reason. I wondered if it’s something productive. I know some of you are thinking that being angry at God in no way is productive. I disagree because when anger sets in some of us pick ourselves up and get moving. We stop sitting in the dark ringing our hands and asking for guidance. When anger sets in we actually take that guidance. When I needed help in dealing with my son’s skin disease, when I finally gave up control when I had exhausted all of my resources from anger to failure I found myself on the floor. God reached down and picked me up he put a phone in my hand and gave me the help that I needed.
Could anger help to protect a heart?
Could it help us to not crumple up and give up?
Is it there in us in those moments so that we can get out of bed?
Now clearly this isn’t the road rage anger or the kids broke the lamp anger. This is a deep in you anger.
I don’t know that I’ve actually been angry with God but I can sure understand it.
6 comments:
Anger will surface even if it comes out sideways. For me, anger masquerades itself as frustration. I can say that I am frustrated with my health issues but in essence I am really angry ... and when I net it out, I am angry with God. God can handle my anger though and I think that it is a bit healthier to say it like it is rather than cloak it in religious verbiage.
So, to answer your question Milly:
Yes it is ok to be angry with God for a season. Consider how Job cloaked his anger. Cloaking anger keeps anger undercover. Even talking it over with friends can get in the way. Finding a way to process your anger with God sometimes requires some sort of counseling where the anger is identified and brought to healthy resolution. After all, anger is okay for a season but not forever.
Anger with God is not a problem. It's what we do with it that can be a problem. "In your anger, do not sin." I believe that also includes anger towards God.
Sometimes life just isn't fair: why is someone healthy while someone else seems to battle with health issues?
I have been angry with God over circumstances in my life and have responded in sinful and spiteful ways. I have also been angry with God over circumstances, expressed that anger, and worked toward resolution.
Anger ain't the problem. It's what we do with it that determines if it's a problem...
Milly, I hope it's okay to be angry with God because I'm furious with him lately. I've been literally fightening for my life since I was 15 (I have manic-depression) I've prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed. I've asked God to take this cross from me. I've asked for his help to carry the cross. Maybe I'm too much of a sinner to understand what He's trying to tell me. I don't know. Two weeks ago I had to leave Mass before the closing song because I was just sobbing. So I decide instead of driving home in that condition that I'd try to find some peace by sitting quietly with Jesus in the Adoration Chapel. I'm crying my eyes out, kneeling in front of the Holy Eucharist, and I tell Jesus and I can't carry my cross anymore, I DON'T WANT to carry my cross anymore. Can't do it dude. I'm going to break, I know I will.
I don't know what I'm expecting, to be miraculously cured, or just to start feeling normal more often than I feel abnormal. I think the latter. And I'm mad because He won't help me. Every so often I can set aside the anger for a period of time and I think that God must have *really* great things in store for me since He has allowed me to suffer for most of my life. Then I think that I'm so ungrateful! Look at Jesus on that cross! Talk about unworthy.
Well to sum it up, I sure hope it's okay to be mad at God or else I'm in big trouble.
maripat,
I’m glad you came by and took the time to talk about what you are feeling. I can tell you that you aren’t alone in this. I’m going to send an email to someone who knows how it is to feel like you feel. I don’t know that I will ever understand why some are healed while others aren’t. Danny Kaye and I have chatted on this before. I can say that God is with you. Please know that we are praying for you and that you always have a shoulder here.
Milly, I'd love to talk to your friend. The bipolar community isn't much of a social crowd and the chance of actually knowing someone in your real life who has the same thing that you do is slim to none. So you're left with absolutely no one to talk to except your shrink. And they don't even really know what it's like inside of your head either! My family has absolutely wigged out on me, totally denying that there's anything "wrong" with their daughter/sister and my husband is at the end of his rope with me.
So yeah, I'd love to talk with your friend.
I'm glad I talked about it over here - you just have no idea how much I need the prayers (well, that's a silly thing to say, of course you know!)
Don't know if you're at all interested, but especially since you have a friend with this, I just posted an excerpt of my bipolar journal over at my blog, midwestpundits.com. You'll get a look into the mind of someone who on the outside appears essentially normal to the people around her. (don't know why I'm talking in the third person).
Thanks a lot for listening Milly. You're a good friend!
Anger is not a solution with GOD. Talking with him, sharing our problems is fine and asking the guidlines to privode some soluiton is best. He will show you a light of path.
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