The Big Question: Is It Wrong to Be Angry with God?

When things go wrong in life, it’s easy to feel lost, afraid, or even angry. This is especially so after an accident or tragedy. Oftentimes, those feelings of helplessness have nowhere to go, and can leave us feeling angry at God.

When things go wrong in life, it’s easy to feel lost, afraid, or even angry. This is especially so after an accident or tragedy. Oftentimes, those feelings of helplessness have nowhere to go, and can leave us feeling angry at God. Because if God is all knowing, all powerful, couldn’t he have stopped something bad from happening? That’s why we decided to explore the question: Is it wrong to be angry with God? We turned to the wisdom of the following pastors, authors and theologians for answers.

Man with his head in hands; Getty Images

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John Piper, author of Pierced by the Word

“Anger at sin is good, but anger at goodness is sin. That is why it is never right to be angry with God. He is always and only good, no matter how strange and painful his ways. Anger toward God signifies that he is bad or weak or cruel or foolish. None of those is true and all of them dishonor him. Therefore, it is never right to be angry at God.”


A road stretching across a distance; Getty Images

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Pastor Kyle Chastain

“Is it okay to be angry with God? Of course. Is it okay to stay angry? That’s like being angry at life itself: it hurts not only you, but everyone with whom you come in contact. If you feel angry towards God, you might need a change in perspective. Very often, the thing you’re so angry about right now will make sense to you further on down the road.”

Rainbow across a green field; Getty Images

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Joyce Meyer, author and speaker

“Forgive God if you are angry with Him because your life didn’t turn out the way you thought it should. God is always just. There may be things you don’t understand, but God loves you, and people make a serious mistake when they don’t receive help from the only One who can truly help them.”


Man boxing in a gym; Getty Images

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Regina Brett, author of God Never Blinks

“It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.”


Man looking over the ocean; Getty Images

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Pastor Robert Hampshire

“Yes, it is okay to be angry with God—as long as you go on to either let that anger go or use it to accomplish good. Do not sin by cursing, becoming bitter, hurting yourself or others, or disobeying. Instead, use your anger to drive you to discover your own incorrect beliefs, to refocus on the truth, and to grow in your relationship with God.”


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R.C. Sproul, theologian

“By considering the scope of the Bible’s teaching on this subject, we may conclude that it is acceptable to bring all our cares to God, including matters that may move us to frustration or anger. However, we must not come to God in a spirit of complaint or anger against Him, for it is never proper to accuse God of wrongdoing.”


The Holy Bible; Getty Images

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James 1:20 (NIV)

“…Human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

Stormy sky; Getty Images

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Philip Yancey, author of Disappointment with God: Three Questions No One Asks Aloud

“One bold message in the Book of Job is that you can say anything to God. Throw at him your grief, your anger, your doubt, your bitterness, your betrayal, your disappointment—he can absorb them all.”


A lighthouse; Getty Images

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John Starke, lead pastor at Apostles Uptown Church

“God isn’t insecure and he knows what we need. He can handle our questions and our anger. He also knows what to do with our anger as well. He knows how to heal and restore. Consider the grace, then, that God knows what men become like when we get desperate, so he gives us the words to say and invites us into his presence to be honest and clear, without fear.”

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