Last night, I found myself very angry at God for not answering my prayers and for ‘failing’ to come through when I trusted in him. Early this morning, I encouraged myself and got up to read the Bible with my wife. We read Romans 7, 8, & 9. The truths in these chapters are amazingly powerful but I would not touch on them. However, in reading the chapters and thinking / meditating, I remembered the following truths:
- As Christians we belong to another. We don’t own ourselves. We are literally God’s property. If he did anything with us, no one would ask him: why are you doing treating them in this manner?
- We have no rights. We are unworthy servants. Luke 17:7-10
- God owes us nothing. Even if we prayed correctly: with the right motives, the right heart, persist and do everything just right; ask the right thing etc, God doesn’t have to give us what we want.
- When he doesn’t do what we want, we have no right to get angry at God or stop doing the things that he commands. Many of us wouldn’t get mad at God like I did, but we wouldn’t trust God as much anymore. Sometimes we wouldn’t even notice it. That is just as bad, if not worse.
- Being angry at God represents ignorance and folly to the greatest degree. If we simply stop and remember how fearsome, powerful, all-knowing, all-wise and majestic God is, we would realize that we don’t even have a right to complain even if God were stepping on our toe and crushing it.
Having said that, I was encouraged by Romans 8 to remember that God’ love for us is great. And nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.
If you make a mistake and get angry at God like I did, what should you do? First, think about the fact that you have no right. Second, be sorry for what you have done. You don’t have to ‘feel’ sorry. Just agree with your ‘will’ that you were wrong and determine with your will that you will repent and ask God for forgiveness and mean it–be determined to change. In obeying God, feelings have a little role to play–even though our feelings are very important to God. Then also pray that God will teach you to fear him and be humble.
