To the person who is angry at God,
I've been there so many times, and in some ways, I am still in that place. It's not a very comfortable place to reside, especially when in the past you have had a happy and comfortable relationship with God. It's a bigger deal than being angry with your best friend or boyfriend because at least with them you can understand that they are humans and humans make mistakes. God is not going to make mistakes, though, so when He hurts us (or allows us to be hurt), we know He does it on purpose. That's a hard pill to swallow.
To some, being angry at God might seem like sacrilege, but I assure you it is not. Some of our "best" Christians have been angry at God. Besides that, anger is a normal (and healthy) part of any relationship. So, if God has allowed some horrible tragedy to befall you (sickness, death, divorce, failed relationships), I want to encourage you to get angry. Yell. Scream. Beat your pillows (or walls) until there is nothing left. Tell Him how you feel. Whatever you do, do not hold in your true feelings. That is the worst thing you could do.
You know how honesty is such a vital part of any relationship you actually care about? Well, your relationship with God goes the same way. Yes, He already knows how you are feeling, but that's no reason to not tell Him! In fact, if you don't tell Him, I can assure you of one thing: You will grow calloused and bitter towards God. You will grow to believe He is evil.
What do you do when the one person you are supposed to be able to trust completely allows something horrible to happen to you? We all respond in different ways. Some of us become crippled by the pain, and for a while there is too much sadness inside of us for us to be angry. Some of us skip sadness completely and just live in anger. Some of us block every emotion out for a time, only to literally explode at the most inconvenient moments. Eventually, though, your journey of emotions will lead you to anger. I want to tell you that it is totally fine to be angry. Not only that, but it is fine to be angry at God.
This open letter is not for giving you advice on how to deal with your anger at God. I will refer you to John Piper for that. This letter, dear Reader, is just to let you know that you are not the only person in the world who has ever been angry at God. It is to let you know that it's okay to cry, scream, and fight. Get angry. Get real. It will do wonders for you.
Sincerely,
Your Fellow Pillow-Buster
