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Job 7: 11 “Therefore I will not keep silent; I
will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness
of my soul.” (NIV)
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How easy it is to believe in the infinite power of God and at the same time to feel that He is unable to meet our personal needs!* |
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Most of us will never have troubles to compare with Job’s.
What’s worse for Job, he never knew that his suffering was the result of a
behind-the-scenes arrangement between God and Satan. Our suffering, on the
other hand, probably stems from other causes. I wouldn’t argue against the
possibility of spiritual warfare of a personal nature in some cases; most of
us, however, are victims of our own poor choices or of someone else’s actions.
Accidents, nature, and life in a fallen world are also factors in our
misfortunes. But even if our troubles are self-inflicted and minor, are we not
entitled to cry out to God?
Job’s lament here is the cry of someone who is comfortable
with God because he knows God. He is not afraid that God will reject him or
belittle him. And God, at the end of the account, never condemned Job for his
complaints or his “varying moods.”*
Venting to God – complaining in the bitterness of the soul –
is often the first step in healing. Perhaps you struggle with the same issues
that I do: When my problem is my own fault, or if it’s more of a whine than a
legitimate complaint, I tend to think I don’t deserve to bring my hurt before
God.
I don’t think God intends for us to suppress our feelings in
his presence. The Psalms of David provide us with examples of how crying out to
God can clear the way to glorious praise as his Spirit helps us work through
our hurts. Sometimes it helps to talk
to another person, but it always
helps to express your strongest – and even most inappropriate – feelings to
God. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
(Matthew 5: 4) He didn’t offer his comfort only to those who had a good reason
to mourn. When he said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” (John 14: 1) he
also included the how-to instructions: “Trust in God; trust also in me.” You can
trust him with your feelings!
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Christians have, so to speak, larger souls than other people; for grief and joy, like desolation and hope, or pain and peace, can coexist in their lives in a way than non-Christians know nothing about. This does not mean that grief, desolation, and pain cease to be felt (that idea is inhuman); it means that something else is experienced alongside the hurt.* |
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