Grace and peace, Saints.

On Mother’s Day, I received an email from a very despondent mom, whose plans for that day were ruined when her daughter became ill. I sometimes get emails from Christians whose trials may be causing them to experience a crisis of faith or doubt the goodness of God. But this was the first time someone admitted that her trials are causing her to actually hate God.

Hate is a word that people don’t normally throw around as lightly as we do the word love. When someone says they hate something or someone, that is usually exactly what they mean. So when Gretchen said she was beginning to hate God, that really got my attention.

Here is her email:

"Hello, Still Man. I found your website when I did an internet search on curses.
Today is Mother's Day, as well as my 18th Wedding Anniversary. My husband, daughter, and I had very special plans for celebrating two such special occasions today. I was SO excited and happy. I had been listening to a series of sermons by Andrew Wommack, that were recommended to me, and I was feeling so peaceful and happy, and growing so much spiritually.

"Then yesterday my daughter became sick, so all our special plans had to be cancelled. I had prayed and pleaded the blood of Jesus that she, would be protected from getting sick, and that we would all have a wonderful time today.

"This sort of thing happens EVERY TIME we have special plans. Either one of the three of us gets sick (usually my daughter), or something else will happen to ruin our plans. I am sick of ALWAYS being disappointed.

"Every time I start getting closer to God and Jesus, very disappointing things happen. I am starting to hate God. He doesn't answer my prayers, and I really don't think that He wants me or my family to be happy. I have already renounced my sins, and become born again.
Regarding Catholicism, I have Catholic friends and family who glide through life on a perpetual cloud of happiness.

"All I asked for was for 1 DAY OUT OF THE YEAR not to turn out to be a disappointment,  but apparently that's too much to ask.

—Gretchen" [CAPS in the original, boldface mine]

This was my response:

Hello, Gretchen.

I understand how tough this must be for you.  And I can understand the temptation to blame God for your troubles.  But you shouldn't hate the Lord Jesus or believe He doesn't want you to be happy.  The Bible says that God wants you to have an abundant life, not a life of misery.

Understand that the Christian life, though a wonderful existence, is not all fun and games. Jesus Himself said that it is given to us who are saved not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake (Philippians 1:29).  I can testify that this is a gospel truth.  Suffering is part of the Christian experience.

The Apostle Paul loved the Lord with all his heart and soul and couldn't wait to die so that he could be with the Lord.  And Paul suffered more than all the Apostles, losing everything he had just to follow Jesus.  Did Paul complain?  Not hardly:
"I count all but loss (I'm willing to lose everything) for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them (the things he lost) but dung (poo-poo) that I may win Christ" (Philippians 3:8). [Parentheses and boldface mine.]
Those are pretty strong words from the Apostle.  But he meant business.  Suffering is part of the Christian walk.  In fact, Paul goes on to say that to know Jesus is to know "the fellowship of His sufferings" (3:10). Only when you have suffered for Jesus' sake do you truly come to know the Lord, because He is going to take you through the fire to perfect you.  And perfection is had through suffering.

Even Jesus suffered.  And the Bible says that Jesus "learned obedience through the things that He suffered.