As Christians, we love the truth. We know that Satan isn’t called the Father of Lies for nothing. Deception is his m.o. He wants us to believe untruths that pull us away from God and His light and deeper into the dark where he can work. But what happens when the “truth” of a situation is that life is hard, we’re hurting, and God doesn’t seem to be answering our prayers? It can seem like a catch-22. If we admit these things, it’s true – but it’s also complaining. If we deny them and say everything is “fine,” now we’re lying. But what if I told you that the Lord has been showing me that we can be lying either way?
A Popular Meme
KC Green has a very popular meme that illustrates denial. The little dog calmly drinks his coffee while his house burns down around him. Eventually, the flames reach him and even burn him, and he is still smiling instead of escaping, getting a fire extinguisher, or calling for help. This represents the idea that ignoring problems doesn’t make them go away. In fact, it just makes them worse because there are consequences to not acting appropriately that will catch up with us in the end.
For Christians, denying or rejecting the truth has even greater consequences than that because it darkens the mind and hardens the heart. Repeatedly, the Bible warns of the dangers of eyes that don’t see and ears that don’t hear. And Proverbs 23:23 tells us to buy the truth and sell it not. That means no compromise. We can’t repress our true thoughts and feelings about a situation while speaking platitudes and cliches through gritted teeth. Otherwise, we’re just like the dog in the meme.
- This is fine. Everything happens for a reason.
- This is fine. God won’t give you more than you can handle.
- It’s okay. When God closes a door, I’ll look for a window.
- It’s okay. This too shall pass.
Shoving frustrated, hurt thoughts and feelings under the Christian rug doesn’t get rid of them. It just makes for a lumpy rug that will trip us up in the end.
Complaining Isn’t the Answer
For years, I thought complaining was the answer. I wanted to be “real,” and I never wanted the enemy to pull me into a dark place where I wasn’t honest about what was happening or how I felt about it. If something was bad, I said it. If I felt hurt, upset, or frustrated, God (and everyone around me) was going to hear about it. I wanted everything out into the light so it could be dealt with appropriately. “This is what it is. I hate it and am mad that it’s happening. THERE. I said it.”
Even when I read the Old Testament and saw how angry God got at the Israelites for complaining, I still didn’t really get why He was so mad. The Israelites were hungry, thirsty, and nostalgic for the physical things that helped them cope with life back in Egypt. I totally got it. Did God want them to ignore the hunger and thirst that are a part of how God made the body to function? Did He want them to smile through their pain until the sand caught in their teeth?
But lately, I have been seeing that situation with new eyes. The truth is that God was never mad at the Israelites for being hungry. He wasn’t mad that they were thirsty or even that they were bored with bread and wanted barbecue. No, in the Old Testament when the people of God grumbled and complained, God was angry at the lie.
A Half Truth is a Whole Lie
Yes, the Israelites were hungry and thirsty, but God always met their needs when they asked Him. Yes, the desert had no visible way to obtain food and drink, but God is a big, miracle working God who has no limits and is in control of every element. He could and would make a way for them to have what they needed and even wanted if they would just have faith. Their physical situation was only part of the equation, and that part alone led them to question God’s good intentions (Numbers 14:11). It was only half of the truth.
Benjamin Franklin once wrote that “Half a truth is often a great lie.” Telling just part of the truth can manipulate how a situation is perceived. So, if we spend our lives telling ourselves, God, and everyone else around us how bad things are, how hurt we feel, and how God doesn’t seem to care or be acting on our prayers, that may be the physical truth as we see it in the moment. But it leaves out big spiritual truths that can reframe the implications of what we are going through.
That’s deception. It’s a lie that can open the door to the enemy to lead us into darker territory with more lies about how things will never get better or that God has left us alone. Soon, we stop seeing the loving, gracious God who brought us out of Egypt and into a land of milk and honey. Now we’re left with an image of a “god” who doesn’t see or care about our pain or if we perish in the wilderness.
We Must Tell the Whole Truth
The whole truth involves reporting on both the physical and the spiritual components of a given situation. We don’t deny physical reality, but we express it side by side with the spiritual reality that goes with it. That’s not the same as gritting our teeth and spouting cliches. It’s saying, “This is the truth – all of it.”
ChatGPT helped me come up with a new meme.
Life as a house fire can sometimes feel like an accurate representation. When we pray for the Lord to help us, He doesn’t always choose to remove us from the building. Instead, sometimes He just stays with us in the flames. When we are hurt, we must know that we are protected from all but the most necessary pains to accomplish His purposes in our lives for our good (and the good of others) and His glory. Most of all, He will always be there to comfort us.
When Christians Complain, They Lie
The truth is that life hurts sometimes. Just like the world, children of God experience some of the same pains and heartaches. But it’s also the truth that God is with us and for us, and nothing happens in our lives that isn’t part of a good plan that’s bigger and higher than we can understand. When bad things happen, we shouldn’t suppress our hurt, anger, sadness, and frustration. We should acknowledge them in truth, but we can’t stop there. By faith, we must also speak the spiritual truths of the Bible side-by-side with them.
Old Testament Spiritual Truths You Can Stand On:
· God is with you; He will strengthen you and give you courage. — Joshua 1:9
· The Lord is your shepherd; He restores your soul and is with you even in the darkest valley. — Psalm 23:1, 3–4
· God’s goodness and mercy follow you. — Psalm 23:6
· God is your light, salvation, and strength; you do not have to live in fear. — Psalm 27:1
· God hears you when you cry out to Him. — Psalm 34:17
· God is near to the brokenhearted. — Psalm 34:18
· God is your refuge, strength, and help in trouble. — Psalm 46:1
· God is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures through every generation. — Psalm 100:5
· God’s Word guides you. — Psalm 119:105
· God opens the eyes of the blind, raises those who are bowed down, and loves the righteous. – Psalm 146:
· Trust God rather than your own understanding, and He will direct your paths. — Proverbs 3:5–6
· The Lord’s name is a strong tower you can run to. — Proverbs 18:10
· God gives strength to the weak. — Isaiah 40:29
· God renews the strength of those who wait upon Him. — Isaiah 40:31
· God is with you; He will strengthen, help, and uphold you. — Isaiah 41:10
· God will hold your hand and help you. — Isaiah 41:13
· God is with you when you pass through deep waters and through the fire. — Isaiah 43:2
· God has not forgotten you. — Isaiah 49:15–16
· God’s mercies are new every morning; great is His faithfulness. — Lamentations 3:22–23
· God does not change. — Malachi 3:6
New Testament Spiritual Truths You Can Stand On:
· God knows what you need and cares for you. — Matthew 6:25–34
· Jesus gives rest to the weary. — Matthew 11:28
· God loves you and gave His Son for you. — John 3:16
· Jesus gives a peace the world cannot give. — John 14:27
· You will have trouble in this world, but Christ has overcome the world. — John 16:33
· God’s Word is truth. — John 17:17
· There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. — Romans 8:1
· God works all things together for good for those who love Him. — Romans 8:28
· God is for us. — Romans 8:31
· Nothing can separate us from the love of God. — Romans 8:38–39
· God is faithful. — 1 Corinthians 1:9
· God provides a way to endure temptation. — 1 Corinthians 10:13
· God comforts us in our troubles so that we can comfort others. — 2 Corinthians 1:3–4
· God’s promises can be trusted. — 2 Corinthians 1:20
· In Christ, you are a new creature. — 2 Corinthians 5:17
· God’s grace is sufficient, and His strength is made perfect in weakness. — 2 Corinthians 12:9
· You are God’s workmanship, created for good works. — Ephesians 2:10
· God can do exceedingly abundantly above what we ask or think. — Ephesians 3:20
· God will finish the good work He began in you. — Philippians 1:6
· Bring your worries to God in prayer, and His peace will guard your heart and mind. — Philippians 4:6–7
· Christ gives you strength. — Philippians 4:13
· God supplies your needs. — Philippians 4:19
· God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. — 2 Timothy 1:7
· You can come boldly to God for mercy and grace when you need help. — Hebrews 4:16
· God rewards those who diligently seek Him. — Hebrews 11:6
· God will never leave you nor forsake you. — Hebrews 13:5
· Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. — Hebrews 13:8
· God gives wisdom when you ask Him. — James 1:5
· God cares about you, so you can cast your cares upon Him. — 1 Peter 5:7
· God forgives and cleanses us when we confess our sins. — 1 John 1:9
Of course, these are just a tiny fraction of the promises of God to His people who love Him. Looking for more? Try One Condition for the Promises of God. This is a thorough search of all the places the Bible says that God will or shall do something.
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