Think you’ve had a bad day? The biblical character of Job had a Ph.D. in pain and loss. In the very first chapter of Job, after everything fell apart in his life, “Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped”(Job 1:20).

This may surprise you, but God can handle your anger and frustration. He can handle your emotions. Why? Because he gave them to you. You were made in the image of God, and he is an emotional God.

When your 2-year-old has a temper tantrum and beats on your knees, you can handle that. In the same way, God is bigger than your emotion, and it’s okay to tell him exactly how you feel. When you prayed for a promotion but it didn’t happen, when a loved one walks out of your life, when you get the dreaded call saying, “It’s cancer,” you can tell God, “I’m mad. I’m upset. I’m sick. I’m frustrated. I’m ticked off. I doubt.” God can handle your complaints, your questions, your fear, and your grief. God’s love for you is bigger than all of your emotions.

My kids know I love them. They know that I’ve been on this planet longer than they have and that I’ve had more experience than they have. But my children sometimes question my judgment. Can you believe that?

I’d rather have an honest, gut-level conversation with them than have them stuff their frustration and disappointment inside. God is the same way! He would rather have you wrestle with him in anger than walk away in detached apathy. 

The right response to unexplained tragedy is not “grin and bear it.” Lamentations 2:19 says, “Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord . . .“

When I read this I felt I could personally relate to the feeling of “grin it and bear it” but God doesn’t want that for me or you. He wants honesty, He’s as real as the breath I breath, He’s as real as the person standing next to you. He already knows your hearts cry, your frustrations, your anger and He desires to spend time with you and hear from you, even if what you have to say to Him may not be so uplifting, talk to Him share with Him how your truly feeling and worship Him. Pour out your heart like water before the face of The Lord! He loves you more than you could ever imagine, even in those moments when your pouring out your heart to Him, He loves you.

Have a wonderful day in The Lord!

Today’s Reading is Lamentations 2:19