Forgiving God
It’s interesting to see how many people get offended when we talk about forgiving God, because they still haven’t understood what it truly means to forgive. So we’ll say it again . . . forgiveness is all about the forgiver. It’s not because God has supposedly done something wrong (for we know that to do so would be completely against His nature), but we still can hold offense with God when He doesn’t do things our way.
God, why did You let my mother die so young? Why did You let all these things happen to me? Why has Your promise not come true yet? Why have You not seen? Why have You not spoken?
Great examples of this are found in the laments of Scripture. Two of which are mirrored in questions from David and Jeremiah, who asked, “Why do the wicked prosper? Why does life seem so easy for them, and yet You allow me such pain, such sorrow, such difficulty? God, if You’re so good, how can You let these things happen to me?” (paraphrased from
Psalm 73 and
Jeremiah 12)
And it begs to ask the question, “Does God really know what He’s doing? Is He qualified to be the one in control of my life, or should I keep trying to do things my way?” And what that really boils down to is the question of, “Is God good?”
If you look at some of the great lamenters in the Bible (Job, David, Jeremiah), you’ll see one thing in common with them all. There comes a point in each lament that it turns to praise. But look closer. What happens when the praise comes? They remember God’s goodness in their lives. They remember how He carried them through seasons like this before, and how He worked it all for their benefit. Then, through their lament, they answer their own question. God is good, and they can trust Him even when they don’t understand what’s going on.
And if God is good, then we can come to the place where we say,
“Not my will, but Yours be done.” (
Luke 22:42) We can release God from trying to do things our way, and in doing so, we can forgive God for the things that we don’t yet understand.
Part of the issue with our offenses toward God is that we are unwilling to admit them, both to ourselves and to God. Perhaps we fear His judgment. Perhaps we fear His rejection. Perhaps we fear our own self-judgment at the thought of carrying an offense toward God. But God is longing for relationship, and while He knows our thoughts, relationship is built on communication. So He waits for us to come to Him. He waits for us to share the deepest places of our hearts with Him—to share not only the good, but the bad and the ugly as well—to give Him all of us.
We need to be honest with God about our feelings toward Him—about what is going on inside our hearts—and we need to be honest with ourselves. That’s how relationships are built. You’ve probably heard it said that you can’t tell if a relationship will last until after the first fight. It’s so true, and I’m not suggesting you fight with God, but it is very important that you talk through your feelings with Him openly and honestly, even when what you have to say isn’t exactly “nice.”
Don’t be afraid to lay it all out, and if you are hesitant, just read through the Psalms for a dose of biblical motivation. David let everything out before God, and he was still called by God as a man after His own heart (
1 Samuel 13:14,
Acts 13:22), even when, and perhaps because, he questioned God and wrestled with Him over his deepest feelings.
And it’s important also, that you repent in this process. You don’t need to repent for forgiving God, but rather, you need to repent for expecting God to do things your way. Give God back the control in your life. Surrender to Him, and recommit to follow after His ways, even when they don’t make sense.
What offenses have you been carrying toward God? In what areas of your life have you been holding a grudge against God? What circumstances in your life have you not forgiven God for? In what areas of your life have you taken control from God and need to repent and surrender? Go ahead, put the book down and search your heart before the Lord. Talk to Him. Forgive Him. Let it go.