Fireside: Taking It Out On God

“If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?
If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand? “
Job 35:6-7

Punching the Wall

Too many times, I have visited young people separated from their families: confused, guilty, scared.

And angry.

So angry in fact, that, I have often had to help them handle a small New Testament because one of their knuckles is broken. I try to be sensitive to their trauma, but when I see their hand wrapped in ace bandage, it has been the same thing: anger, taken out on a wall.

Sadly, the wall always wins, and the anger is simply repressed under pain.

What did that wall ever do to you?

I’m no psychologist. I’ve had no formal training in counselling or therapy. I’ve been blessed with a moderate temperament. God also saved me when I was very young, so I have had a Constant Companion in the Holy Spirit of God, called “the Comforter.” I have no stories to tell of struggling with this. I only have the Bible.

My observation: young people are convinced that #1 their anger is always valid, and #2, that it needs an outlet. Worldly thinking then says, that violence, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else, is tolerable. Hence, the broken knuckles and dents in the drywall.

My perception: one ill-advised outburst leads to another. As Steve Currington discovered through his personal recovery, “It is not possible to fight a fleshly appetite by indulging in it.” Furthermore, in an attempt to cope with the out-of-control flat spin that sin causes, their anger turns against the One Who loves the sinner most. The self-destructive spiral ends by taking it all out on God.

What did God ever do to you?

The unchecked license of youth become unbreakable traits of men. This is how it plays out even in a believer’s life. God blesses; sin messes. “For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.” (Romans 7:11)

A saved young man is pressured to get a college education. In the tradition of his family, he complies to get a secular education. Is any of that God’s fault? But the first thing that goes in his life is his Bible reading, his personal standards. Soon he is just partying like everyone else at the university. He is a victim of his own susceptibility, but he blames God.

A new family faces financial woes. This young man and woman each prayed for a godly spouse. They prayed for a home, a job, a child; God blessed in all. But now they have bills to pay. Will they pray? Hardly. First, they will work late and miss the prayer meeting. Then they will pick up a double on the weekend that takes them out of Sunday morning. Do you see what’s happening? When they have every reason to despise the world and draw closer to Jesus Christ, most people choose to punch the wall.

A family member dies young of a dissolute lifestyle. The Christians in his/her life had witnessed and warned them, but they stiffed the Gospel. Their wicked lifestyle stole their health, their mind, and finally, their life. They died before their time, and everyone knows why. Inevitably though, you will hear at this funeral: “Why did God take him so young?”

A fellow falls sick over the weekend. He tells his pastor to pray for him to get better. Yet, he alone must make a choice: attend church and sacrifice resting up for Monday at work, or miss church and go to work Monday fully rested. Doesn’t God want me to feel better for work? He reasons. My question is: how could you beg God for help, then stiff Him by not showing thanks?

Please think about this: we have been taught by our society that our frustrations are valid, and blame must be placed. Those are satanic seeds that produce the insanity in the above scenarios. I wish those were imaginary. But I’ve watched those four repeat over and over again.

You don’t hurt God by being irrational. You only hurt yourself. But the God you take it out on is the ONLY One who cares, provides a way of escape, and can fix what’s wrong in your life. Turn to Him, not against Him.