Are You Being Honest with God?

The word of the week is CRY or CALL

: to shout or say something loudly

There is so much pain in this world. Just about everyone I know is going through something that is really hard and uncomfortable to deal with. Some of us are even feeling strong emotions, such as anger, disappointment, confusion, and frustration. But, are we being honest with God about these feelings? Do we cry out to Him in our distress?

As Christians, we sometimes think we should just ignore our true feelings and come to God with perfect little prayers, being sweet and calm, because we are afraid we might offend Him. But, God is not offended by our true feelings. He made us and knows us, so it only makes sense for us to be honest with Him. It is when we are  dishonest that He is offended.

If you read the book of Psalms, you will notice it is loaded with distress calls, outbursts of confusion, and agonizing laments. Here are just a few examples:

Psalm 13:1 - How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?

Psalm 119:147 - I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words.

Psalm 61:2 - From the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

There was a time when even Jesus cried out to God in a loud voice. It was when He was dying on the cross. The sins of the world were laid on Him and His Father God had to turn away from Him. The burden on Jesus was so overwhelming to bear that He cried out to His Father in distress.

Matthew 27:46 - About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

If it is acceptable for Jesus to cry out to God with honest thoughts and feelings, then why do we think it is not acceptable for us?

Crying out to God won’t always immediately take away our pain. But, it does help us to acknowledge several things:

1. We need God in our lives.
2. We want His help.
3. We trust Him enough to be honest in our prayers.
4. We trust Him to hear our prayers.
5. We trust Him to give us the answers that are best.
6. We know He is able to strengthen us in our need.

"If God is big enough to be worth yelling at about your situation, He is big enough to take your pain, hear your lament, and somehow use it to comfort you in the confusion. ~ Andrew and Rachel Wilson, The Life We Never Expected, page 54