Question from a Site Viewer
Sometimes I find myself getting tired and confused. Then I will often be very emotional with God. I will feel angry at God and distant from Him. How can I cope with these feelings?
Tim’s Answer
You ask what is the best remedy for when you feel tired and confused and become emotional, distant and angry towards God. The best remedy for tiredness is sleep. The best remedy for confusion is focus on Jesus Christ. The best remedy for distance is worship. The best remedy for being angry at God is a fuller understanding of great debt to Christ and the riches He has given us in the forgiveness of sins and the hope of life eternal with Him. We should every day thank God for the forgiveness of our sins. If it was not for His mercy, we would all die. So, when we come to Christ, we die to ourselves and become His servants. Wherever He wants us to serve and in whatever way He wants us to serve, our goal should be to serve Him.
The old mind within us will always try to take us away from God. The old mind will give us reasons to be angry at God. We must purpose in our hearts to draw near to God. I find one of the best ways of doing this is thanksgiving and worship. When I am thankful to God, I am not irritated at what is happening in my life. Rather, my focus is on His goodness to me. If all He had done for me was to redeem me, I would give my life for Him; but He has done so much more.
He provides His Word where I can get to know Him. He provides His Spirit to guide me in this world. He provides other believers who challenge me. He provides breath that I might praise Him. He gives me opportunities to serve others so that I might reflect Him. There are ten thousand reasons to praise Him. We should wake up in the morning praising Him and go to bed with His praise on our lips and in our minds.
Also, I find when I am feeling down, the great antidote for me is worship. I will pause, find a quiet place, bow down before God, quiet my heart, and intentionally adore Him. It is not a time to ask for anything. It is simply a time to worship who He is. Such times refocus my mind on Him, on His calling on my life, and on my role in this world. I think we as a church spend time praising God through music (and this is very good), but we do not spend much time in worshiping Him.
Finally, spend time in the Word. Do not read just to get through a passage, but slow down and read a verse or two and seek the help of the Holy Spirit to help you understand what the verses are teaching about God and about ourselves. We need to learn to delight in the Word of God, to meditate on it day and night.
