Is it Wrong to be Angry with God?

As human beings we are going to feel and express all kinds of negative emotions and thoughts in our life. We all express different negative emotions, such as guilt, anger, hurt, envy, grief, disappointment and even hatred.
We are sinners who fall short of God’s perfect standards (Romans 3:23), and our emotional responses when faced with certain circumstances are not always perfect or appropriate according to God’s standards.
The Bible warns us that in this world we will face tribulations and all kinds of tests and trials. So we live in a fallen world where problems and wickedness is inevitable.
However – how we respond to our trials and problems is very important (John 16:33; James 1:2-8).
There are people who are very emotional and do not hesitate to express their emotions and feelings, including one’s anger and pain.
However, others tend to bottle-up their emotions and keep all the hurt and pain inside, instead of expressing it.

So is it wrong to be angry with God? Am I allowed to express my disappointment with God when things don’t happen according to my expectations? Can I express any negative feelings or emotions towards God?

In life, many people have been so angry and disappointed with God to the extent of forsaking the Christian faith completely.
Many have been so disappointed and angry with God to the extent of embracing atheism or a totally different religion or belief system.

It is better to bring your anger and disappointments to God than to use or express your anger against God.
It is better to share your anger and negative emotions with God than to use your anger to attack or blame God.
So in our anger or disappointment, we must avoid making God the object of our anger or disappointment.

It is better to ask God to minister to you through your negative circumstances and to give you the grace and ability to manage your feelings as you face your tests and trials.
1 Peter 5:7 says: Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.

Furthermore when we read the Book of Psalms, we will notice that different emotions from guilt, pain, disappointment and even anger are expressed by some of the authors of the Psalms.
Psalm 118:5 says: Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.

Psalms 69:29 says: But I am afflicted and in pain; let your salvation, O God, set me on high!

Psalms 25:16-17 says: Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. 17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses.

So we see that the psalmists do not use their negative emotions and painful experiences to attack or blame God.
They do not question His existence nor completely forsake to follow God – but instead they seek answers from Him and they call out to Him for help.

So how we respond or deal with our anger, our disappointments and every other negative emotion is very critical.

God does not forbid us from getting angry. The Bible reveals that even God gets angry.
However God forbids us from sinning when we are angry. God forbids us from allowing anger to control us to the extent that we live unrighteously.

Ephesians 4:26 says: “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry

James 1:19-20 says: Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

So in our anger and our disappointment, we should not give God the silent treatment. We should not forsake fellowship with God. We should not blame or attack God. We should not allow our anger to lead us to evil (Psalms 37:8).
Instead we must bring all our issues to Him and ask Him to give us the peace that surpasses our own human understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).
We must cast the load of all our cares and emotions to God. We must allow God to help us to manage our emotions in the midst of our hurt and pain or disappointments.

Furthermore, we cannot hide our emotions from God even when we are hiding them from others.
God knows and understands the exact state of our feelings and emotions far more than we do. God knows us so well that He knows what we need even before we ask (Matthew 6:8).
God also knows us so well that He knows how many hairs we have on our head (Matthew 10:30).

So when we are in a state of anger or disappointment, we must plainly share our inner feelings and emotions to God who knows us more than we know ourselves.

However, because the very nature and character of God is that He is pure and blameless in all things, then it’s important to avoid attacking God or blaming God.

When we choose to attack or blame God because of our anger and disappointment, it is as if we are making God to be the enemy. When we attack or blame God, it is as if we are questioning the perfect and blameless character and nature of God.

Many have totally rejected God in their life because they blame God for their circumstances. This happens when we fail to manage our anger and disappointments in a godly way by seeking God’s guidance. This happens when people make God to be the object of their anger.

Therefore dealing with our disappointment or anger starts with us knowing and understanding the perfect, good and blameless nature of God.
God is sovereign and always in control even when things don’t happen the way we expect them to happen. God is sovereign and in control even through heartbreak, trials and hardships. God does not cause wickedness nor can He be tempted to sin; Nothing surprises God; God is just and fair; God ultimately seeks the best for His creation.
God can use all circumstances, both good and bad, for His own purposes and glory for those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

So since God knows us more than we know ourselves, God knows exactly how we feel.
He does not forbid us from sharing or expressing how we feel. He does not forbid us from having feelings of anger or disappointment. His love and grace allows us to process our feelings and emotions because He knows and understands our fallen nature.
However we should avoid making God the object of our anger and disappointment because it leads to sin. Instead we must seek God’s guidance to help us to manage our emotions through our trials.
We have Jesus Christ our High Priest who identifies with our emotions and our weaknesses and yet was without sin. Therefore because of Christ, we are encouraged to come with confidence before God’s throne of grace and find help in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:15-16 says: For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.