Dissappointment with God

[BlueDogDemocrat]

If we're honest, many of us will admit to wondering.

We claim God's promises and read the wind. We seek his face and he comes up missing. Is God even there? Does he care?

God is not one that disapponts, but instead is one that doesn't always meet our expectations of him. God is neither a genie who grants wishes at our comand, nor is he an absentee Father we can't count on in a pinch. He is God, and in richly personal language the Bible reveals him as someone with his own priorties, his very own method.

I found a book by Phiilip Yancey that discusses these very same issues. Great read.

Your thoughts?

[BlueDogDemocrat]

and yes, my spelling nazi's, I know i misspelled disappointment. My apologies.

[TheKing]

oh lord

youre just looking to start a fight arent you?

do you realize where youre at and who you are posting to?

[BlueDogDemocrat]

oh, no, I am not at all trying to start a fight. Certainly, we've all been disappointed with God before, though we may be afraid to admit it. It is an interesting topic that I believe every Christian should explore so they may better understand why they are sometimes disappointed with God. This exploration only helped me grow in faith, believe me.

[58ford]

oh lord

youre just looking to start a fight arent you?

do you realize where youre at and who you are posting to?
I gotta agree with The King here. This looks like blatant Zorro baiting.

[BlueDogDemocrat]

I was just putting out a thought provoking topic on faith. Perhaps I don't have enough history here, but I'm honestly not aware of how this would bait Zorro.

I'm never one to shy away from a debate or to speak my mind, but I don't say things just to pick a fight. That is especially true when it comes to issues of faith and religion.

They are much to personal to fight over.

[EricStratton]

I agree with you for the most part, BDD. I wouldn't say that God has ever disappointed me, but I would say that God and I have disagreed on a lot of occassions. Of course, I believe in my heart that He is always right, but I'm a hard-headed bastard who likes to control my own universe.

I don't see anything blasphemous in being angry or frustrated with God. I get angry and frustrated with the people I love the most, here on Earth, but that doesn't mean I love them any less in the big picture of things.

We're all control freaks to a certain extent, and I am a control freak to the greatest and most selfish degree a lot of the time. However, not to sound cliche, I have always found that God's timing and placement have always been perfect, while much of my own timing and placement have been utter freakin disasters. I firmly believe that God's plan is for us to "prosper", even though my definition of prosperity is sometimes different than His.

[CircusRide]

I've always thought I should've been rich instead of a hot mofo. But God chose the latter.

[BlueDogDemocrat]

Well, you know, there have been times when I've found myself disappointed with God. Sometimes I let myself fall in the trap of thinking that somehow God worked for me, that he existed soley to answer my prayers and to meet what I felt like at the time were my "needs".

It is so easy to forget the WE are part of HIS plan. NOT the other way around. I find great comfort in knowing that despite how crazy and nonsensical our lives tends to get, the Lord Jesus Christ is always in control. I find great comfort knowing that we are his children, part of his design, his perfect plan.

It is a grounding effect in my life that only Christ can provide!

[dollfus46]

oh, no, I am not at all trying to start a fight. Certainly, we've all been disappointed with God before, though we may be afraid to admit it. It is an interesting topic that I believe every Christian should explore so they may better understand why they are sometimes disappointed with God. This exploration only helped me grow in faith, believe me.

I think it's a great topic for debate. I have Yancy's name and recommended book on my "to get" list. Haven't done it yet.

BDD, this is a topic that no Christian should back away from. I'll try to tackle it from my perspective.

what I want to endure.

When things happen to me that are beyond my control and not a result of my choices (for instance, my husband's cancer and death) - I never experienced disappointment or anger.

Disappointed with God? Angry at God? I never experienced that -



I'll have to admit that when horrible things happened to two people I loved, I got angry at God. I looked skyward, shook my fist and literally screamed curses at Him. It was out of my power to help them so I blamed God. He must have been doing it to get back at me for something I'd done. That was before my faith was as strong as it is now. I sought help from church members who knew far more than I. People like QM. Now I put my faith in God that He knows what He's doing, He knows best and He doesn't need my approval. His reasons will be revealed to me if He feels I need to know. Once I really believed that, I was fine. All things happen for a reason and in His time, not ours. Now I'm not angry nor disappointed anymore. I look for the good to come from it.

[amanda]

Instead of being disappointed in God, try to put the disappointment into perspective. I believe that the Devil tries at every hand to tempt us into doubting God's love for us. There have been times in my life where that tingling of doubt, anger and disappointment reared it's ugly head. But God doesn't punish us, or condemn us, or test us. The devil does. It's his number one goal to have us question our faith or lose it all together.

[zorro]

When I've experienced situations like this in my own life, I've learned that my disappointment should not be in God, but in myself - because I've usually made choices without His guidance and the consequences are not what I want to endure.
I can't honestly say that I ever get disappointed with God. I have been disappointed with other people, but nobody has ever disappointed me as much as me myself. And as QM said above, some of my choices have had consequences that I didn't like, but in all honesty, things could have been even worse. Some of the choices of other people have also affected my life in an apparent adverse manner, but this is their fault and not God's fault (He has no faults). As a matter of fact, His Word tells us that He causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him [Romans 8:28], and thus, even in times of tribulation or affliction, Christians should be giving thanks to God. Do I always do this? No, I honestly don't. Do I think that I should? Yes, I honestly do. This is an area in which I am disappointed with myself, but I am certainly not disappointed with God.

As someone who believes that I deserve eternal damnation for my sins against the Source of All Good, my Creator and Redeemer, the fact that I am not only not in hell, but never will be because of the salvation that God Himself has provided, makes almost everything else look like grace.

Remembrance of God's goodness to you, along with gratitude and thanksgiving for His goodness to you, is the correct way to praise God and to avoid the temptation of blaming Him or of being disappointed with Him (see Psalm 103).

[daisy]

BDDemocrat, to be honest, I have been angry and disappointed in some of my life's events and have ?ed God and let him know what I felt and thought about it.

At 17, I lost my brother from a bike and car accident and 2 weeks later lost my father to cancer from a long illness. I remember at the visitation crying and asking my preacher why it happened. He told me I may never know. I just know it did and I figure God can hande my being honest with him. He made me and knows how I think. I got through it with the help of church family, friends and relatives and God. And just going on.

From other events and experiences of tragedy I have found the worst thing I can do is to turn away from him and rebel or do it my way. I do better talking to him and letting him get me through it. I have tried plenty of the other--I guess rebelling and letting that discouragement turn me bitter and self -reliant. Just me.

I know several people in the Bible were disappointed and angry with God. I will look it up and get back to you..

[Conveyor Belt]

As someone who believes that I deserve eternal damnation for my sins against the Source of All Good, my Creator and Redeemer, the fact that I am not only not in hell, but never will be because of the salvation that God Himself has provided, makes almost everything else look like grace.

............. I don't know how to say what I want to say without it coming out all wrong........ maybe I'll go look for someone who's already said it and cut and paste..... I'm not being a smart ass.... really.....

[daisy]

BDDemocrat, what is the name of that book? I like Phillip Yancey.

I think there are a lot of people that have the issue of disappointement --a whole market of books that deal with this. For ex: When Bad Things Happen to Good People by some Rabbi.

[Augustus McRae]

The responses have been interesting. I am always "enlightened by" and even amazed at the differences in people. I readily admit that I have been angry with God and disappointed in God - because I'm a frail and fallible human being with the tempermant and selfishness of a human being. I've had screaming fits directed toward God in past years. But I think that is part of an honest relationship with a God who you know will "allow" you to be angry and allow you to work through it. Am I proud of those times - heck no. But honestly, I'd had them. They can still creep in. But as you grow and mature - through experience and through a deepening relationship with God - you kind of "know better" - does that make sense?

[nooskye]

But as you grow and mature - through experience and through a deepening relationship with God - you kind of "know better" - does that make sense?


It makes perfect sense Gus ... like Daisy, I lost a brother when I was 12 ... he was 10 ... and for the longest time, I had very clear, very verbal issues with God. I turned away from him and rebeled and became the self-reliant individual that has been described ... A cold-hearted b!tch, really ... in retrospect, it was a pure hell of my own making. It wasn't until I grew and matured and became straight with God in 1996 and became baptized (sp?) in 1998 ... (eight years after the fact) I was able to gain the peace I needed to begin to heal from the trauma of watching my brother bleed out ... A scar that I now use to help others out when their life takes a twist like mine had ... I'll never be completely healed from the nightmares I have suffered through ... but I now realize that it is my own selfishness that holds on to it, and the more opprotunities He gives me to discuss and share, the easier it is for me to "deal with" ... if *that* makes any sense :D

[Augustus McRae]

Thank you very, very much for sharing that, nooskye. And, yes, it makes perfect sense!


It makes perfect sense Gus ... like Daisy, I lost a brother when I was 12 ... he was 10 ... and for the longest time, I had very clear, very verbal issues with God. I turned away from him and rebeled and became the self-reliant individual that has been described ... A cold-hearted b!tch, really ... in retrospect, it was a pure hell of my own making. It wasn't until I grew and matured and became straight with God in 1996 and became baptized (sp?) in 1998 ... (eight years after the fact) I was able to gain the peace I needed to begin to heal from the trauma of watching my brother bleed out ... A scar that I now use to help others out when their life takes a twist like mine had ... I'll never be completely healed from the nightmares I have suffered through ... but I now realize that it is my own selfishness that holds on to it, and the more opprotunities He gives me to discuss and share, the easier it is for me to "deal with" ... if *that* makes any sense :D

[BlueDogDemocrat]

BDDemocrat, what is the name of that book? I like Phillip Yancey.

I think there are a lot of people that have the issue of disappointement --a whole market of books that deal with this. For ex: When Bad Things Happen to Good People by some Rabbi.

It is indeed titled "Disappointment with God".

I think you'll enjoy the read.

[BlueDogDemocrat]

I swells my heart with comfort and appreciation knowing that so many fellow Christians have felt the same way. This is why it is so important not to be a "Hermit Christian"-- talking about our faith with fellow Christians [and most importantly, non believers] is one of the best ways to grow in our own personal faith.

[Hermione]

I'll have to look for that book, BDD. I have Yancey's book "The Jesus I Never Knew" which I was going to read again during Lent. Powerful book.

One thing -- everytime in my life God has closed a door or said "no" about something, it's turned out for the best.

[LipsofanAngel]

One thing -- everytime in my life God has closed a door or said "no" about something, it's turned out for the best.

Oh how true that is Hermione! One of the life experiences I've had that truly shook my faith- I now look back and THANK God for it. It sure didn't seem like it at the time, but it truly was for the best. That doesn't mean it was a pleasant experience though, but part of God's plan nonetheless.

There are 2 other occasions though in which I was very angry with God. One of which I am still dealing with. I have my moments of weakness when I have yelled (yes- literally yelled. I've had some serious *arguments* with God when I've gone for long drives to be alone) at him in disgust. Although I don't see how anything good could come out of some situations, I guess I just try to accept the fact that it's not always my place to understand. I have memories that haunt me, and still feel moments of emotional pain over things that happened many many years ago, but I figure if God's gotten me this far, he'll continue to do so in the future. Reminds me of what dad's always told me "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger"... if we just allow God to work in and through us during those times we might be angry, then I think God only uses it as an opportunity for us to grow in character and in faith- but we have to let that happen.

[BlueDogDemocrat]

Well, like I've said, I have no doubt been disappointed with God.

If I were a betting man, though, I'd imagine God's been disappointed with me more than a few times!

And unlike my disappointment, for good reason.

[Hermione]

This is not an exact quote, but St. Theresa of Avila once said to God: "The way you treat your friends, it's no wonder you have so few."