A topic that is all too common among those who have suffered a deep loss is that of being angry with God. In all these many months of writing blog posts, I have never looked deeply into how this could or should look.
I think that’s partially because I truly have not been angry at God through any of my big losses. Sometimes I consider that a miracle in itself! Of course, I’ve questioned God countless times, asking “Why?” when I could make no sense of my circumstances.
But for some reason, I didn’t cross into the realm of anger.
Since so many people do struggle with being angry with God, I want to delve a little deeper into that whole concept and take a look at a familiar story from the book of John. It’s the story of Lazarus, Jesus’ friend who died before Jesus arrived to heal him.
There’s a ton of theology we could discuss here, but to keep it short, I won’t be looking at why Jesus chose to wait two days before traveling to Lazarus’ home. Instead I want to focus on some of the emotions this event elicited from Jesus, including that infamous shortest Bible verse, “Jesus wept” in John 11:35.
One of my devotions this week opened my eyes to a different perspective which ultimately led me to address this subject of anger with God.
For those readers who have an affinity for “dead theologians,” I have one for you! Quoted in his 1912 essay, ”The Emotional Life of Our Lord,” B. B. Warfield writes this,
“What John tells us, in point of fact, is that Jesus approached the grave of Lazarus, in a state, not of uncontrollable grief, but of irrepressible anger. He did respond … with quiet sympathetic tears. But the emotion which tore his breast and clamored for utterance was just rage.”
This doesn’t mean only rage; it means his anger was appropriate. It was justified anger. But at what or whom?
Warfield does go on to suggest that the anger Jesus felt led to his emotional tears. But clearly, he isn’t angry with God, His Father. He is angry, in the simplest of terms, at death.
So let’s bring this discussion back to the lives of those of us who have suffered devastating losses. And specifically to anyone who has, literally or figuratively, shaken an angry fist at God.
Based on what Warfield suggests, I have to ask the question, “Is it really GOD you are angry with? Or when everything is stripped away, are you, too, actually angry at DEATH or whatever ‘fallen world’ attribute contributed to your heartache?”
That’s a question worth pondering, for all of us. I know many will tell you that God can handle it when we’re angry with him. And I don’t dispute that. We don’t hurt God’s feelings by directing our anger at him. And crying out to God through your heartache is expected. But might our anger be misplaced?
Of course we know that God could prevent any of our heartaches, if he chooses. But let me remind you that we live in a fallen world, full of sin ever since Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit back in the Garden of Eden.
We all suffer the consequences of that fateful act and it’s why any of us have emotional or physical pain in this life. We won’t live in a world without that pain until Jesus returns. So we shouldn’t live with the expectation that life here will be pain free. John 16:33 clearly tells us, “In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart; I have overcome the world.”
So meanwhile, knowing that God will make it all right again that day, does it truly make sense to direct our anger at him? Or should we learn from Jesus’ example in the Lazarus story and be angry at the consequences of sin, not the least of which is death?
That makes the most sense to me. I don’t want to be angry with the God who walks me through my trials, and who brings growth in my spiritual life through those trials. That feels a bit counterintuitive.
Instead, if I choose anger, I want it to be properly directed at the consequences of this fallen world. Not at God who will eventually and completely restore this world to its original perfection.
Does that give you a new perspective? Does it help you see that God isn’t ultimately who we are angry with?
I’m not suggesting that our circumstances shouldn’t cause us to have deep anger at the pain we’re suffering through. I just want to recommend a more appropriate target for that anger.
I believe that also opens the door to a more intimate relationship with God, and a better opportunity for him to work in your own life.
Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,
but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
Proverbs 14:29
Leave a Reply