Is God Mad at Me?

November 3, 2014

Does it ever feel like God must be mad at you?

For most of us, that feeling shows up when we think God is holding out on us. When He promised us something (like healing) and we aren’t seeing it happen.

We also have the tendency to believe He is punishing us when bad things are happening in our lives. We feel like He is just waiting to thump us and we don’t even know why.

Please be assured: God isn’t mad at you. Even if you were in trouble with Him, if you sinned on purpose or if you were following a path you absolutely knew was wrong, He wouldn’t attack you.

I think a lot of the concern comes from not understanding the differences between discipline and punishment. According to Merriam-Webster,

dis•ci•pline (noun \ˈdi-sə-plən\ )
1) control that is gained by requiring that rules or orders be obeyed and punishing bad behavior.

This definition shows clearly that discipline and punishment are not the same things. Proper discipline is guidance; proper punishment is the deterrent after bad behavior is practiced.

God’s discipline is loving, no matter what your parents or your church or anyone else told you.

The Bible says that He disciplines those He loves. If you are a child of God, you will receive discipline. In essence, He will teach you right from wrong. He will guide you in the way you should go. And, since you are His child, if you need to be punished (pretty rare, in my experience), it’s not to damage you. It’s to get your attention and change your behavior.

This subject has caused a lot of confusion. People have misused Scripture to justify abusing children. Maybe that happened to you.

It’s time to learn the truth.

This is part 22 of a series on abuse recovery

Part 1| Am I Alone in my Pain?