Last Monday morning, my teenage daughter shrugged at me over coffee.
“I know you’re a person with a lot of faith so these passages aren’t a problem.” She motioned to her Bible on the table; we’d been talking about Job, and Abraham being led by God to sacrifice Abraham’s son.
“But they’re tough for me.”
I wasn’t quite sure where she got the idea those would be easy for me. As a rule, my husband and I normalize spiritual struggle with our teenagers. Within authentic faith, we’ve found struggle inevitable. (Check out Struggling with Faith? You’re in Good Company.)
So I mentioned the day before, on my porch–when it was me, God, and a cup of tea in the chill of May in Colorado. I’d determined I didn’t want to deal with my confusion over his character without him.
Even when I know he’s in the right–like a marriage, when something’s between us, we need to talk: respectfully. Truthfully.
And I’m not the only one. The Psalms are full of David’s (and others’) attempts to reconcile God’s character with what they hoped. Author and apologist Lisa Victoria Fields points out that so much of Scripture is full of what to do when God doesn’t do what we expect.
“A faith without some doubts is like a human body without any antibodies in it. People who blithely go through life too busy or indifferent to ask hard questions about why they believe as they do will find themselves defenseless against either the experience of tragedy or the probing questions of a smart skeptic.
A person’s faith can collapse almost overnight if she has failed over the years to listen patiently to her own doubts, which should only be discarded after long reflection. Believers should acknowledge and wrestle with doubts — not only their own but their friends’ and neighbors’.
It is no longer sufficient to hold beliefs just because you inherited them. Only if you struggle long and hard with objections to your faith will you be able to provide the grounds for your beliefs to skeptics, including yourself, that are plausible rather than ridiculous or offensive. And, just as important for our current situation, such a process will lead you, even after you come to a position of strong faith, to respect and understand those who doubt.”
Pastory & author Timothy Keller
Working through my confusion and frustration with God is one vital way I’ve found to keep my wounds clean.
Angry with God? A Free, Printable Bible Study for Emotional Health
So I’m trying something new today–whether you’re experiencing anger with God, or just want to explore a new part of the Bible: a mini-study toward emotional and spiritual wholeness, on a chapter of the Bible.
Estimated time to complete: 20-30 minutes; can be expanded
Suitable for groups, or study in pairs? Yes, though it’s helpful if individuals can go through it on their own first, without outside “noise.”
Suitable for my friend who doesn’t know God? This is designed for people with some knowledge of Scripture and the Holy Spirit, even if they’re deconstructing. I’ve also used it with missionaries. It’s somewhat adaptable.
Through the comments, I’d love to hear if this is helpful for you, if you’d like changes, or if you’d like more.
Print your free Bible study here.
No subscription necessary. And feel free to share!
Want to take this further?
I like the Verses Project’s songs to memorize parts of this chapter, which got me started on the richness of the passage in the first place:
May God meet you as you bring all of your questions into the sanctuary.
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