broad shoulders

I was talking to a client tonight who has been through a lot of sorrow in her life. She just recently accepted Christ but is still struggling with doubt. Tonight she said to me,

"Sometimes I'm afraid that I actually hate God because I don't understand why He let all these bad things happen to me. Where was He when all these things were happening?"

I was at a loss. How do you reiterate God's love to someone who has experiences such horror in their life?

After work a friend texted me about some struggles they are having. They said,

"I'm getting angry at God and I am getting bitter."

Have you ever been in conflict wth someone?

If you don't process through the conflict with the person you are angry with, you can destroy the relationship. You get so bitter and eventually, if it persists, you withdraw from the person and write that relationship off as a loss.

The same thing can happen with the Lord.

The enemy's most basic trick is to call into question God's love for you and make you question it as well. Then He will make you resent His lack of love and before you know it your heart is cold and distant from the Lord, because you're mad.

You're not speaking to Him.

That's exactly what the enemy wants. He works to convince us of the Lord's indifference. Then he convinces us not to talk to the Lord about it because all He will do is be upset over our anger and lack of faith. It's a vicious cycle designed only to stop us from experiencing the fullness of God's love.

You see, God had broad shoulders.

In our ignorance of His plan, He knows there are going to be times where we question what He is doing. It's ok.

But we have to learn to take those questions straight to the source.

I gave both my client and my friend the same advice tonight.

It's ok to be angry.
The Lord can take it.
But take it TO Him, don't let it push you FROM Him.

Keep going back.

Keep returning.

I kept thinking tonight of the concept of a parents love. How many of us shouted at our parents in a fit of teenage rage, "I hate you!!!" or something of that nature.

It may have hurt them, or even made them angry, but for the most part, it probably didn't stop them from loving us.

How much more does our Heavenly Father love us and have patience with us?

Yes, it may make Him sad or angry, but unlike sinful humans, there is NOTHING we can ever do to make Him stop loving us.

There is a children's Bible called the Jesus Storybook Bible that I love to read to children. In the story where sin comes into the world is says this.

"God loves His children too much to let the story end there. Even though He knew He would suffer, God had a plan - a magnificent dream. One day, He would Get His children back. One day He would make the world their perfect home again. And one day, He would wipe every tear from their eyes. 

You see, no matter what, in spite of everything God would love His children with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever love. 

And though they would forget Him and run from Him, deep in their heart God's children would miss Him always and long for Him - lost children yearning for their home."

It goes on to promise that God Himself would come for His children to battle sin and death and defeat the enemy. And He did.

The enemy is defeated and angry and wants to take as many of us down with him as he can. So everyday without fail he whispers in our ear that God doesn't love us. He wants to drive a wedge between us and the Lord.

Rebuke him and keep returning to Jesus.

Even when you're mad.

I do a lot of conflict resolution in my job and know that the only way to truly resolve conflict is to go to the person you are angry with.

It's ok to be angry.

But keep going back to the Lord.

Trust me, He can take whatever you throw at Him.

He has broad shoulders.

He loves you with the love of a perfect Father.

He loves you with a never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love.