Forgiving God

Sometimes life hurts us. And when we hurt, the natural response is anger.

When another person is responsible for our pain, our anger turns toward the one who has injured us. To restore peace, we know we need to forgive.

But sometime’s there’s no clear culprit in our suffering. At those times, it’s natural to place the blame on the One we know is in control of everything.

And so we unleash our anger on God.

What can a young woman do with her bitter feelings toward God when she finds herself experiencing her third miscarriage in fifteen months?

What can parents do with their profound anger toward God when they learn that their baby boy has Down’s syndrome?

How can an elderly man not blame God when he discovers that he has Parkinson’s disease?

How can a victim of a horrible care accident or a cruel rape effectively come to grips with the truth that God does care, He is all powerful, yet He permits awful tragedies?

To restore peace in his most important relationship, the Christian can choose to "forgive God" and in doing so, God lovingly let’s the believer see and understand the true power of forgiveness.

Us being forgiven by God is without question; but that God needs to be forgiven by me borders on blasphemy. Why?

Because the act of forgiving implies that the object of forgiveness is guilty of sin and needs to be pardoned.

But God can’t sin. He is holy. No one has the right to pardon God, for He has not sinned against anyone.

Yet many of us may need to go through a process with God that resembles forgiveness. Not because God has sinned and needs to be pardoned...

But because we treat Him as if He has.

Even though God doesn’t need to be pardoned, we may need to "forgive" Him.

Because if we don’t, then anger sets in...REASONS WHY WE GET ANGRY:

1. Some need to forgive God because they blame Him for all human tragedy.

------------------ILLUSTRATION: The Rabbi and the Tailor

There’s an old story about a Jewish tailor who met a rabbi on his way

out of the synagogue:

Rabbi: Well, and what have you been doing in the

synagogue?

Tailor: I was saying my prayers Rabbi.

Rabbi: Fine, and did you confess your sins?

Tailor: Yes, Rabbi, I confessed my little sins.

Rabbi: Your little sins?

Tailor: Yes, I confessed, that sometimes I cut cloth on

the short side and cheat on a yard of wool by a

couple of inches.

Rabbi: You said that to God?

Tailor: Yes, Rabbi, and more. I said "Lord, I cheat on

pieces of cloth; You let little babies die. But I

am going to make you a deal. You forgive my

little sins, and I’ll forgive Your big ones."

----------------------

Over the centuries, God has been accused of many big sins. He has been labeled as cruel, partial, sadistic, uncaring, and impotent.

Why would God allow a young father to accidently run over and crush his 3 year old child while backing his car out of the driveway?

To forgive God is to look these tough questions right in they eye, come to grips with the scriptural truth about God’s love, power, and sovereignty, and then to fully submit to His will.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." -- Isaiah 55:8-9

2. Others need to forgive God because they resent Him for not allowing a loved one to live.

When someone we love is diagnosed as having cancer, an army of believers begin to pray. To the doctor’s amazement, cancer is in remission.

Suddenly, two months later, it appears again. More prayers were offered to the Lord, but to no avail. She declines rapidly and dies.

Why? Her life was so productive. Why did she have to die? Why does God permit that good for nothing grump over there to live and yet insists that she die? It’s not fair!

Maybe it’s even started with a death of a loved one or animal...

----------------ILLUSTRATION: Charlie The Cat

"It was around Thanksgiving, just after our daughter turned five, that we brought Charley home. We named him after Charles, Prince of Wales.

The name seemed to fit just right for this shy little newly-adopted member of our family. His wonderful blue eyes seemed to look deep into your heart.

He was a bundle of joy always letting us know when he wanted attention. He was easy to love and each of us in our family grew closer and closer to him in our own special way. He brought us many years of joy.