In my last blog we looked at the question, is it okay to be angry with God? We looked at some Old Testament characters that were angry. Today we’ll look at some people from the New Testament.
When we come to the New Testament and the sisters Mary and Martha, we find, in concern for their brother when he was sick, they sent to Jesus to come and help, John 11:3. Instead of immediately rushing to their aid, even though he loved this family, Jesus delayed another two days before setting out, John 11.6.
By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been dead and buried four days, John 11:17. There is accusation and, I’d like to suggest, a hint of anger behind Martha’s and Mary’s words ‘Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died,’ verses 21 and 32. The implication is clear – it’s as though they said, ‘If you had acted earlier, this would never have happened. If you loved us and Lazarus you would have done something about the situation. You would have come before now.’
Martha however, quickly works through her anger to say to Jesus, ‘Even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you,’ verse 22 . At no point does Jesus chastise Martha for her earlier words and attitude, but He gently leads her to trust implicitly in Him despite the circumstances and He brings Lazarus back from the dead, verses 40-44.
So, is it okay to be angry with God when bad things happen to us or to those we care about or when we see the ungodly appearing to go from strength to strength? I believe it is. A good relationship includes honesty. If we are angry with God but try and keep it bottled up inside and pretend everything’s fine, we may fool others. We may fool ourselves for while. But we will not fool God. He knows how we feel anyway, so it is better to get it all out and let God help us work through our feelings and learn how to deal with the problem. I suspect that’s exactly what I’ve been doing with this blog.
One time when I mentioned in a Christian group that I had been angry with God when my mother died, people in the group were quite disapproving and condemned that attitude. Yet, I believe scripture supports the view that it is okay to be angry with God. How else can He help us deal with it? What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject.
Bible verses from the New American Standard Version
Please visit these related blogs
Is it okay to be angry with God?
Your priorities or the Lord’s priorities?