I was used to getting my prayers answered. Over the years, the Lord heard my cries for mortgage money, success at work, for things to work out in my favor. And He had answered those cries! The Lord had given me an amazing list of answered prayers and victories. And I expected Him to continue to deliver, at my request. And when He didn't, the bottom dropped out of my theology. He could have rescued me but didn't. I was shaken. For the first time in a long time, I felt on my own. I didn't like it. I was mad at God. Secretly, I blamed Him for my failure. You, too, may harbor disappointment toward Him. That unanswered prayer. The healing that didn't happen. The child that died despite fervent prayers. All these events, the "Why, God?" questions that linger and cause doubt and disappointment can lead to bitterness. But bitterness is poison. If you want to truly live, that is, enjoy life to the full as Christ intended, you will have to learn to forgive God. There's no way around it.
I was used to getting my prayers answered. Over the years, the Lord heard my cries for mortgage money, success at work, for things to work out in my favor. And He had answered those cries! The Lord had given me an amazing list of answered prayers and victories. And I expected Him to continue to deliver, at my request. And when He didn't, the bottom dropped out of my theology. He could have rescued me but didn't. I was shaken. For the first time in a long time, I felt on my own. I didn't like it. I was mad at God. Secretly, I blamed Him for my failure. You, too, may harbor disappointment toward Him. That unanswered prayer. The healing that didn't happen. The child that died despite fervent prayers. All these events, the "Why, God?" questions that linger and cause doubt and disappointment can lead to bitterness. But bitterness is poison. If you want to truly live, that is, enjoy life to the full as Christ intended, you will have to learn to forgive God. There's no way around it.
