Is it OK to be Angry with God?

by Lori Benka

We have all been there. We are going through life on our merry way, when, all of a sudden, calamity strikes and stops us right in our tracks. Grief, fear, anger, or anxiety grip us, and we are unable to find a way out of the heaviness that has begun to blanket us. We wonder what happened. Suddenly, we realize there is One who is all-powerful and all-knowing who could have stopped this adversity but didn’t.

We become encompassed with pain and anger. We become angry at the world and angry at God.  Questions and doubts directed towards God begin to creep into our minds… 

“Why didn’t You stop this from happening?”

“Don’t you care about me?”

“Why did you heal this person but not my loved one?”

“Where were you when this accident happened?”

“Why did you allow this disease to attack my body?”

“Why did you take my loved one away?”

“If you really loved me, You wouldn’t allow this to happen!”

Resentment begins to grip our hearts like a poisonous vine. Soon, we don’t want anything to do with God, His church, or His people. We spiral down a road of bitterness, hatred, and depression because we have walked away from our First Love. 

In hard times, if we turn our backs on God because of our limited understanding, we turn our backs on the only One who can bring comfort and healing to our brokenness.  Click To Tweet

Have you been there? Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV says:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Is It OK to be Mad at God?

This is a hard question to answer as we see both believers and non-believers succomb to anger towards God and allowing that anger to tarnish their relationship with Him. But by the end of this post, we’ll have a clear answer. To begin answering the question, maybe we should ask why we are angry with God. Did a prayer not get answered the way we thought? Did our plans get ruined? Did our will collide with God’s will? Perhaps we thought, mistakenly, that we should be immune to bad things happening in our lives.

What Does the Bible Say About Anger?

The Bible has much to say about anger. Many verses remind us how to respond to and deal with anger.  Anger is an emotion that can have positive or negative consequences. There is a righteous anger that happens when injustice or wrong is done, or a sinful anger which is hatred or wrath that leads to hurt and pain and often tends to seek revenge. Listed are a few Bible verses that give more insight into anger.

Psalm 37:8 (NLT) says, “Stop being angry!  Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper, it only leads to harm.”

This verse tells us being angry only causes us to harm ourselves or others. In the heat of the moment, our emotions can get the best of us, and we can end up doing or saying something we will later regret. This verse reminds us to stop and turn away.

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.”

Ephesians 4:31 (NLT)

We should work hard to remove any anger or bitterness we are holding on to in our hearts so we can have peace again. In this verse, anger is tied to evil behavior.

Ephesians 4:26-27 (NLT) says, “And don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.”

This verse literally means be angry, but do not sin.  I have always been told, “Don’t go to bed angry.” This verse reminds us to quickly resolve our anger and not allow it to stew within us and cause more problems in the future.

“…you must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.”

James 1:19-20 (NLT)

Have you ever said something you wish you could take back? When emotions are raging within us, it can sometimes be difficult to hold our tongues. But God wants us to listen and be slow to speak. Take time to gather all of the facts and calm down before you blurt out something you will later regret.

Proverbs 13:32 (NKJV) says, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”

More proof that being slow to anger is highly favored.

{Related: Consumed by the Glory of God}

Biblical Examples of Anger Towards God

One of the first documented cases of a Biblical example of someone being angry at God is Cain. We read in Genesis 4 that the Lord accepted Abel’s gift but did not accept Cain’s gift. Cain had only brought a token gift. He didn’t bring his best. This made Cain very angry, so one day he asked Abel to go into the fields where he attacked and killed him.  

Cain had some unresolved jealousy which led to anger. Instead of coming to God and asking Him why his gift was rejected, he allowed bitterness to grow in his heart, leading to the sin of murder!

Jonah is another example of someone who became angry towards God. God had asked Jonah to go to Ninevah to warn the people about their wicked behavior, but Jonah went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord (Jonah 1:3). This disobedience led to him being swallowed by a great fish and, subsequently, his deliverance from the belly of the fish three days later. When God told Jonah a second time to go to Ninevah, he obeyed. The people listened to the word of the Lord, and God held back His judgement. This made Jonah very angry (Jonah 4:1).  He questioned God in prayer, and told him how angry he was.  

Even though Jonah was angry at God, unlike Cain, he came to God in prayer and laid his heart out to him. This is a better example of what we should do when we feel mad at the Lord.

King David also became angry with God. 1 Chronicles 13 tells us the story of David bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel where it belonged. But instead of having the Levites carry the Ark on two rods, David placed it on a new cart and allowed Uzzah and Ahio to guide the cart. The oxen stumbled and Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the Ark. God’s anger was aroused, and He struck Uzzah dead on the spot. David became angry at God for this. But instead of David working out his anger towards God, he became afraid of God and left the Ark at the house of Obed-edom for three months.

Why People Might Feel Angry With God

Many things can cause people to be angry and disappointed with God. Some may get angry with God for the death of a loved one. Others may get mad at God for a healing that never came. Then there are those who might get mad at God for an accident or natural disaster. There may even be times when we pray and we feel like God didn’t answer, leading to us to becoming angry at God.  

We tend to reason with ourselves, “If God is in control of everything, why did He allow this disaster to occur in our lives. Bad things shouldn’t happen to us.” Losing our faith in God’s goodness causes us to begin to use our own human reasoning and understanding to try to work out our own frustrations about our lack of control over events that are not pleasant. But this is pointless.

Acts 26:14 NLT says:  “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?  It is useless for you to fight against my will.”

Many of us can say we have been angry or disappointed with God at some time or another, and most of us can say we have been displeased with Him. God is not angry at us for feeling this way. He knows everything about us and knows our thoughts from far off. He knows what you are thinking and feeling anyway, so why not come to HIm and talk to HIm about your anger.

How to Work Though Being Angry at God

We can become angry, complain, and blame God for things happening to us, but if we would learn about His character and learn to trust and surrender our bitterness and anger back over to Him, acknowledging that we are trying to force our will over His, He will begin to fill us with strength, peace, and healing.   Isaiah 61:3 NLT says, “To all who mourn in Israel, He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of despair.”

Working through anger with God is a process that can take a long time to complete. It takes learning to process your anger in a healthy way. Some strategies you might find useful are:

• learning more about God’s character and trying to emulate Him
• practicing trusting Him and surrendering to Him in all things
• journaling about your feelings
• taking your feelings to God
• talking to a Christian counselor about your anger

{Related: Read how Gina turned towards God instead of against Him during a hard time in
How to Trust God – 6 Tips for Greater Trust}

Whatever strategies you choose, make sure you don’t hold onto anger. It can destroy you and your relationships with others and God. It is a very strong emotion that can take up residence in your thought life, which in turn can begin to control every area of your life. Use the methods I have listed so you can break free from the anger you are feeling towards God.

So…is it Okay to be Angry with God?

Although being mad at God is a natural response to an injustice we feel has been done to us, it is an emotion we do not want to linger in for very long. The Bible makes it clear that it’s not ok to remain angry at anyone. Our journey of faith should move us towards coming to God in prayer rather than lifting our fist in anger against Him or anyone else. As we move through anger, we can come to accept God’s will and begin to enjoy an abundance of peace once more. 

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