Got very mad at God yesterday

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DeniseNY

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I found myself getting very frustrated with a problem. I have been praying and praying and praying, and yesterday I just kind of hit bottom. I got angry at God and though “what’s the point of praying? It’s easier to not ask for help because then I’m not disappointed)”. I haven’t felt like this in a long time.

Has this ever happened to anyone else? How do you get over it.

I didn’t even want to continue with my 54 day Novena, but I did.
 
While I wouldn’t want to spend all of my time being mad at God, there is one aspect of it that’s good: it says your relationship with him is real and it’s important.

Think of it this way. If you had an acquaintance who you haven’t seen in years, maybe a former neighbor, do you get mad at that person when things go wrong? No! Because your relationship just isn’t that important and the other person doesn’t have much of an influence in your life.

Read some of the Psalms. It’s not that unusual to see the equivalent of “where were you when I needed you? You abandoned me!” They’re very honest.

And ultimately they come back around to the idea of “You are God and you are great and worthy of praise.” But sometimes it can take a while to get back to this point.

Be mad. And then when you’re ready, think about the times God has been trustworthy. The times you wandered away and he waited patiently for you to return, then welcomed you with open arms. The times you sinned and he forgave you. The times he put just the right person in your life.
 
SuscipeMeDomine said:
While I wouldn’t want to spend all of my time being mad at God, there is one aspect of it that’s good: it says your relationship with him is real and it’s important.

Think of it this way. If you had an acquaintance who you haven’t seen in years, maybe a former neighbor, do you get mad at that person when things go wrong? No! Because your relationship just isn’t that important and the other person doesn’t have much of an influence in your life.

Read some of the Psalms. It’s not that unusual to see the equivalent of “where were you when I needed you? You abandoned me!” They’re very honest.

And ultimately they come back around to the idea of “You are God and you are great and worthy of praise.” But sometimes it can take a while to get back to this point.

Be mad. And then when you’re ready, think about the times God has been trustworthy. The times you wandered away and he waited patiently for you to return, then welcomed you with open arms. The times you sinned and he forgave you. The times he put just the right person in your life.
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Thank you.
 
I’ve gotten mad at God several times. We’re human. Sometimes life is too much for us. All we can do is ask for Mercy and Forgiveness.
 
DeniseNY said:
I found myself getting very frustrated with a problem. I have been praying and praying and praying, and yesterday I just kind of hit bottom. I got angry at God and though “what’s the point of praying? It’s easier to not ask for help because then I’m not disappointed)”. I haven’t felt like this in a long time.

Has this ever happened to anyone else? How do you get over it.

I didn’t even want to continue with my 54 day Novena, but I did.
Click to expand...
Faith is a real and fragile thing. It does not protect from frustration; rather it is something we must protect and build gradually.

There is no real “geting over it”. It is a matter of accepting it. The same God that allows us to have a roof over our heads and food on our tables, is the same God that allows thousands worldwide to die of exposure and hunger on the streets. People of faith have problems. They have struggles. They are confronted with evils daily.

This is simply the world we live in. It is not the world God created; it is the world we tarnished with sin. Prayer is a means of conquering sin, such that we can enter Heaven pure of sin. We were made to commune with God constantly, but sin has cut us off. Communion with God is meant to give us the strength to get past the daily struggles.

Jesus on the Cross struggled with death, and through communion with the Father, over came death to rise on the third day. God does not solve our crosses, he stands by us while we face them.

It may be tempting to want a sign, but none is guaranteed. Jesus appeared to Saint Thomas, and Thomas believed, but Jesus warned, “Blessed is he who does not see, but still believes”. Mother Teresa spent much of her life without experiencing any sign of God’s love.

Faith is ultimately an act of trust. We pray not to change God’s will, but to accept God’s will. God does not will suffering, but allows it for a time, for some purpose known only to himself. When Adam sinned, God could have placed a great millstone around his neck, and cast him into the sea and started over with a new creation without sin, but God had some other purpose.

We pray to build faith, and when faith fails, we pray to built it up again. We can only trust that it is worthwhile.
 
I remember being at a retreat where the priest said to us if we feel the need to complain to the Lord, then do so respectfully.

And then be silent and listen to Him.
 
DeniseNY said:
I found myself getting very frustrated with a problem. I have been praying and praying and praying, and yesterday I just kind of hit bottom. I got angry at God and though “what’s the point of praying? It’s easier to not ask for help because then I’m not disappointed)”. I haven’t felt like this in a long time.

Has this ever happened to anyone else? How do you get over it.

I didn’t even want to continue with my 54 day Novena, but I did.
Click to expand...
I can’t tell you how to get over it, but you will.

I can tell you that I’ve been there many times before. In fact, I’ve recently progressed into a much worse resentment of God. This is more than anger, it’s simply dissapointment and annoyance up to the point of an inability to take it anymore.

I’ve also recently discerned whether there is a point to it. Not just praying, but simply by following God’s will or “rules”. It’s gotten me nowhere but backwards in life. I started out healthy, happy, and vibrant. Now I’m neither of those things. I’ve turned into a deeply scarred, anxious, angry person because of all the past failures and dissapointments I’ve been through, despite always doing my best to follow God (even more so than those around me who often encouraged me to ‘relax’).

Being a righteous person has simply led me to deny myself too much. And as I said, it’s just made me a worse and resentful person.

I’m told Jesus knowns my pain, everything works out for the best for those who love God, God has a plan, we are not alone, rejoice in the name of the Lord etc. To me, this has become as meaningful as the patriotic mantras that you’re forced to recite in kindgerden. Pledge of allegience, greatest country in the world, freedom, democracy, one nation blah blah blah. As you get older you realize this is all a load of over-shot truths. For some people it works, and I believe God exists and Catholocism is the only way to Him and a happy life. Unfortunately that’s not true for me. God did not forsee my suffering and the depression it would cause me. God is not all we need. I need more. For without the things God has stripped me of, I can no longer find or follow God.

Don’t tell me blessed are those who mourn and the happy in this life will cry in the next. Lies. I see plenty of people around me who’ve had life fall in place the way they planned, the way they wanted to. And they were able to achieve it because God blessed them with the means, ability, strength, and fortune to do so. And because of this, they’re better people. They’re become grateful, righteous people through the blessings they’ve received through God. Unfrotunately whatever I try, God has intentionally destroyed. Maybe he wants me to lead a different life to that what I think I want? Well excuse me for believeing in the concept of free will, and finding God through my own life in my own time.
 
I hear you and I’m there. I would love to know the answers too. In addition to practical means to work with the bank, I’ve been praying for months regarding the loss of my home of 12 years. I’ve prayed many rosaries, four novenas (two to St. Therese, one to St, Jude, and in the middle of one to the Immaculate Conception) with no results. Today was my sheriff’s sale. I have no place to go. I’m single with no immediate family. I don’t know how much further I can sink in my faith. FYI, I have no self-destructive thoughts; if need be, I will give up all my material possessions save for a few and go on. It’s hard, but I’ll just take a few things with me and put them in storage. BTW, this is my second time for homelessness; I was there at age 17 (I’m 55 now) when my dad left and didn’t pay any form of support. My mom and I lost our apartment and were tossed in the street; we had to watch our neighbors pick through our stuff and salvage what we could.
 
DeniseNY said:
I found myself getting very frustrated with a problem. I have been praying and praying and praying, and yesterday I just kind of hit bottom. I got angry at God and though “what’s the point of praying? It’s easier to not ask for help because then I’m not disappointed)”. I haven’t felt like this in a long time.

Has this ever happened to anyone else? How do you get over it.

I didn’t even want to continue with my 54 day Novena, but I did.
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Yes, I have been there, too. I just kept hanging on, though. I guess what I learned to do is just take things one day at a time.

Sometimes we feel as though we can either pull away from God, or move closer to Him during these difficult times. This would be the time to keep your faith though, and just keep on like you normally would. You could be going through a dark phase. Just hang in there.

At times like this, I just kept going to Mass, and would go to Adoration, too.
 
It’s not Gods fault, it’s just not your time. You are angered with an earthly problem, try never to be mad a God for those!

Praying for you!
 
Hi DeniseNY,

I don’t know what intention you are praying for, but hang in there.

I can honestly say that I have felt hopeless and dejected when some intention I’m praying for doesn’t get answered (or maybe not yet). For example, late last year I was without a job, and this went on for almost six months.

I have gone to several exams and interviews, and none pushed through. Okay, I received a job offer from one, but I didn’t get it because I waited. I was hesitant because it was online based, and I didn’t know how to go about the paperwork. So…waiting mode again. I also prayed a lot, prayed novenas, you name it.

I already had thoughts like, oh no will I still be able to find a job, at all? Will I be jobless forever? What’s going to happen to me? Thoughts of fear and hopelessness…but see, it eventually ended. I’m now in a job eight months in, and I’m very thankful.

Continue praying and hoping, even though you feel like nothing is happening. It’s very hard when you don’t feel it, but just keep at it. Will be praying for you.
 
DeniseNY said:
I found myself getting very frustrated with a problem. I have been praying and praying and praying, and yesterday I just kind of hit bottom. I got angry at God and though “what’s the point of praying? It’s easier to not ask for help because then I’m not disappointed)”. I haven’t felt like this in a long time.

Has this ever happened to anyone else? How do you get over it.

I didn’t even want to continue with my 54 day Novena, but I did.
Click to expand...
I have been angry at God many times and sometimes for long periods of time. I didn’t want to be mad at God, but I went through a traumatic series of events in my late 20’s and early 30’s. I always saw myself as a survivor and always fought so hard for myself to keep life straight and not turned upside down. I returned to Church converting to the Catholic Church, but I still don’t feel like the person I used to be. I have sleepless nights asking God “why?” and “when will I feel happy again?”
it is harder the older you are. it is not fun being angry at God, but you wonder where He is sometimes.
 
just like when a father or mother locks a son or daughter in a room becuase they have misbehaved or are trying to prove a point to them, God does the same to his children. When you arent getting what you want, believe me, it is because of preparation and purgation and such. God may be wanting to teach you how to live more like him as was the case with me, to put myself into practical terms with living godly, rather than reading scripture all the time, thats just one example. In either event, you must wait.!
 
I don’t want to make excuses for God, but the purpose of prayer is not mainly to get things that we want. It is supposed to be a two way exchange in which we can get to know God and express ourselves to Him and be changed by His love and Grace.
Actually, God already knows what we need and want and has already provided for it (see Mt 6:25-34). The way we receive it is by faith, That is the way receive everything from the kingdom (see Mk 11:24). It basically works by putting out words(seeds) of faith that will change things and bring us what we need. For example, if i need healing, i will speak or declare the promises of healing given by God in His word. I will have what i speak if i believe without doubting or that is, with my whole heart. But this is often very difficult in practice because there are so many things that can distract good faith. The Apostles always struggled with this and often frustrated Jesus.

There is far more to this subject than i can write here. Many books have been written…

Shalom,
Jerry
 
youtube.com/watch?v=Mn9snxDfHIQ

Let him who is in desolation consider how the Lord has left him in trial in his natural powers, in order to resist the different agitations and temptations of the enemy; since he can with the Divine help, which always remains to him, though he does not clearly perceive it: because the Lord has taken from him his great fervor, great love and intense grace, leaving him, however, grace enough for eternal salvation.
 
I am very sorry for the pain you must be feeling. Suffering is hard to bear and accept my heartfelt understanding.

I think back to the time when Jesus came into this world, when the chosen people were looking forward to a Messiah, the one who was to put everything right for them. The Romans were in their land controlling them and taxing them. And the Jews wanted their own land back, and also to be a world power to be looked up to and feared. This Messiah they thought would do this for them.

Now we know how very wrong they were to look for a worldly Messiah concerned about this world. The Messiah was a king, and had his powerful kingdom, but it wasn’t for this world that he came. He went much further than this world and he said as much. Nevertheless, he was rejected and not recognized as the Messiah. The Jews had their thoughts focused on this world and so they were blinded to the real Messiah.

I believe that story of the Jews missing their Messiah goes on today in a very healthy way. For Christians are looking to Jesus to fix everything wrong with this world. Health and wealth is what many christians value and want. And when they do not get it, they reject Jesus, the Messiah, just as the Jews long ago rejected him. They want the Messiah to be of and for this world.

There is an important lesson to be learned here. Are we just fair wheather friends of Jesus or did we die with him in baptism to arise from the watery tomb with him into a different world? Or are we still looking to this world as our real treasure?

The only difference between an atheistic pagan and a true Christian is belief in different things. We are no different than they if we abandon our trust and love in Jesus when things go wrong. In fact, they are really better than we in that case since at least they are not false to their belief.

What we believe is that God loves us in every situation we find ourselves in. And we in turn love him in every situation as well. That is the real bond and true faith. Everything else is jelly.

There has been many a christian who threw away the precious gift of faith because they felt jelted. This is the seed from which grows the atheist.

What our dear God guarantees is this…that in every situation we find ourselves, it can be a good or bad thing depending on how we take it. That is the test. We can say I’ll stand by you dear Lord knowing you are thinking of my good in some way that is a mystery to me. Or …

I hope you find your real Messiah, and the trust in him that will endear you to him in a meaningful way.

And I will remember you in prayer.
 
Thank you all very much for taking the time to respond, I really appreciate it!

I’ve gotten over the anger. After calming down (and of course reading these response), I realized my anger was misguided. It was one of those things where I wanted what I wanted, when I wanted it; and that might not be in accordance with His will. My intention is still something that has me worried, but I’m going to try to focus on asking God to answer my prayer if it’s in accordance with His will and for my good, and to please help me have the faith and I trust I will need to get through whatever rough patches come my way.
 
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