How Dare I be Angry at the Lord

image credit:  Hannah at www.beautifullyrooted.com

 So after that last incredibly raw post a couple days ago, I feel I need to clarify some things, or at least begin to work through some issues with you, my faithful readers, at my side.

First of all, yes I'm angry about my current life situation.  Sometimes this anger is directed toward a specific person because of something they said or did (and usually this same person has said or done this same exact thing a million times before).  But that doesn't make my response of anger toward them correct or even justified.  Maybe they were just having a bad day, like me.  Or maybe they didn't sleep well last night and are cranky.  Or maybe we were having a bit of miscommunication.  Whatever the reason, being easily irritated is NOT the key to a successful resolution of the problem.  Being irritable and angry does nothing for me but allow me to continually choke on the noxious fumes of my own smoldering.

With the revelation of the Holy Spirit, (whom I can hear speaking to me a lot clearer once I shut up--imagine that!) I've decided to immediately start praying for the person who is about to annoy me.  This goes for anyone and everyone in my life.  So the next time I'm in traffic, obeying the laws and being courteous to other drivers and some jackass cuts me off without so much as a sideways glance to make sure he's not about to kill me, I'm going to say a quick mental or verbal prayer for him.  Maybe he has a family emergency and that's why he's rushing home.  Who knows.  And that's the point.  I don't know what's going on in peoples' lives, but the Lord does and He asks me to treat them like I want to be treated; to LOVE them.  And getting irritated and complaining about traffic the entire way home is NOT loving the other drivers and it's NOT the kind of person I want to be.  I'm not a complainer by nature (I don't think!), but I've become one, especially about certain things.  But I do not want to be a complainer.  That's not me.

In my opinion, a complaining Christian is a Christians who has taken their focus off of our Lord Jesus and put their attention onto themselves and their "troubles."  A complaining Christian is someone who has forgotten how amazingly and utterly blessed with are to be children of the Most High God, and how good God is and how He has provided for us more than we need.

So I'm going to pray for people instead of getting irritated by them, and this will take my focus off of myself (it should never be there in the first place!), and place it on God and that person.  That's where my focus should be.  On the Lord first, then on others.

But often I think I'm angry with a person, but really I'm angry at God.  And how dare I be angry at my wonderful Christ, who has saved my soul, blessed me with so much, and given me a good life to live.  How dare I.  It's incredibly impetuous and self-righteous of me to be angry at God! 

So yes, there are plenty of times when my anger is directed at someone who I think deserves it, but of course in reality does not.  But then there are plenty of other times when I'm just angry at life; at the world; at myself; and at the Lord.  This verse comes to mind from Job, when Job tries to question the Almighty about His plans for Job's life, and Job realizes he's so inferior to the Lord:   

"The Lord said to Job:

“Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?
    Let him who accuses God answer him!”

 Then Job answered the Lord:

“I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?
    I put my hand over my mouth. 

 I spoke once, but I have no answer—
    twice, but I will say no more.”

(Job 40: 1-5, emphasis mine)

 See?  How dare we throw a temper tantrum like spoiled little brats whenever something God has ordained for our lives doesn't go the way we wanted it to! 

Am I saying that it's wrong or inappropriate to question God and ask Him to reveal the work He's doing in your life?  No!  It's fine to ask God what's He's doing and to prepare you for His plan.  It's another thing, however, to get bent out-of-shape or get angry at Him when it seems like His plans are interfering with yours.  He's the Lord God Almighty; the Creator of the Ends of the Earth, and you are....not.  I am not.

I've been put in my place, and it's exactly what I needed.  Thanks be to God that He still loves us even when we're messy, or crazy, or wounded, or lashing out, or depressed, or devastated.  He breathes life into us and makes us whole, if we let Him.  I'm going to work together with Him to help cleanse my heart of negative emotions that shouldn't be in there, just like the verse in the picture above.    
Click here to read a great article about Anger Management from Hannah, a blogger over at "Beautifully Rooted".