Want to discover what is holding you back? Take the limits quiz now.
Silence.
There is nothing I hate more.
When I ask my husband a question and his face is buried in his phone.
Silence.
When I holler to my kids upstairs, quite certain they are devouring an entire box of Hostess Cupcakes under their bed.
Silence.
When I pose the same request to God time and time again.
Silence.
I know I shouldn’t be mad at God, but honestly, sometimes I am. I equate silence with apathy.
Silence = the person on the receiving end could care less.
Yet the thing about God is he isn’t like us.
God doesn’t give the silent treatment. His ways are higher than ours—beyond human comprehension—meaning we must walk through seasons where God’s voice feels distant.
When my daughter was diagnosed with severe Autism I was rip-roaring mad at God. Four years later—when my son was ALSO diagnosed with severe Autism—I was livid. I remember during this season, yelling at God with hot tears streaming down my face, pounding on my steering wheel, and shouting one word, “WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHY!”
His reply?
Silence.
I don’t have all the answers but despite the pain, GOD HAS CHANGED ME. He wants to do the same for you. But there are a few things you must do:
1. DON’T BE AFRAID TO YELL AT GOD.
Growing up in the church, I believed subconsciously that anger was wrong. Anger at God…forbidden. But when I started reading the Bible, I realized people got angry at God. David started most of his songs pointing a finger at God and shouting accusations such as:
Why have you abandoned me?
Where are you God?
Don’t you care?
Did you know “being angry” is actually a command in the Bible? In Ephesians 4:26 Paul commands the church to BE angry BUT do not sin.
Anger isn’t a sin—it’s an emotion.
Ignoring you’re angry at God doesn’t take the emotion away, it only buries it. He wants to hear your heart—even your angry heart.
2. WORSHIP WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL IT.
Do you know there is a gift we can give God even the angels are envious of; an offering we can present exclusively on earth?
When we join Jesus in eternity, our opportunity to present this token will have passed.
It’s the gift of worshipping, despite our pain.
In heaven, there will be no sorrow. We will clearly see all of God’s ways. But while on earth, it’s as if we are sitting in a dark room staring into a mirror. We can’t see our reflection clearly, just a vague outline of who we are. The future is hazy and we don’t have the answers to all our why’s.
But what moves the heart God more than the saints casting their crowns before the throne of heaven, is a woman on earth who makes the conscious choice to worship—despite her pain. This act causes all of heaven to turn and stand in awe.
So crank up some good worship music (I suggest Elevation Worship on YouTube) and sing your guts out to God, even when you don’t feel it.
3. SURRENDER TO THE PROCESS.
For the past month, I have had no clue what my husband has been doing clearing our property. He rents big machines and dumps loads of dirt here and there. He grinds stumps, cuts down trees—and in my mind—makes a giant mess.
Yet, just because I don’t understand what he is doing, doesn’t mean he isn’t creating something beautiful. At the end of the summer—when the property is cleared and the grass is growing—I will be enjoying the haven He created for me. I stopped arguing with him and surrendered to the process.
The same is true for God. The process is messy. Bulldozers are running you over and there is dirt flying. Yet God is creating something beautiful from your pain, even when you can’t hear his voice over the heavy machinery.