Why Do We Get Angry at God? Understanding Faith Through Life’s Challenges

I believe that everything comes from God. But when bad things happen in my life, I sometimes feel, to my regret, a sense of anger toward Heaven. Since I know that God is responsible for everything, I end up “blaming” Him for whatever happens to me. For example: if I fail an exam, I look upward and accuse Him of decreeing this upon me. How can I get rid of such a thought?

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To overcome this mistaken thought, remind yourself of four key principles:

1. God Gains Nothing From You — Everything He Does Is For Your Benefit

God created the entire universe and He is eternal and infinite. That means there is nothing you can give Him. Everything He does is purely for your good, not for His own benefit.

All reward and punishment in the world exists only to guide us and to improve us. Just as a surgeon may cause pain in order to save a patient’s life, God sometimes sends suffering to heal our spiritual soul, so it may be cleansed and prepared for eternal life in the World to Come.

God gains nothing from this — it is all kindness. Every trial you experience is designed for your benefit.

2. God’s Wisdom Far Surpasses Human Understanding

God created the trillions of cells in your body, each one beyond your ability to fully grasp. He designed the vast universe, while scientists win Nobel prizes simply for uncovering tiny glimpses of His genius.

When you feel anger toward Heaven, you are, in effect, treating God as though He were on your level. He is the Creator of your mind, your emotions, your physical body, and your spiritual soul. 

The Torah tells us: “Know in your heart that just as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you” (Devarim 8:5). Like a parent who gives a child a shot the child doesn’t understand, God’s actions may sometimes be painful, but they are always for our long-term good. He knows the future, sees the entire picture, and knows what is truly best for you.

3. Remember the Countless Gifts You’ve Already Received

Imagine a billionaire who owes you nothing, but gives you a gift of ten million dollars. Occasionally, he asks you for a few coins back. Would you be angry with him?

God has given you far more than that — countless priceless gifts, free of charge:

• Eyes that see the world in full color and 3D.

• Ears that hear in stereo.

• Teeth to cut food, molars to grind it.

• A mouth to speak, a tongue to taste and enjoy.

• Hands, fingers, joints, and muscles that let you create and do.

• A body of incredible design that sustains life.

• A beautiful world: trees, animals, mountains, oceans, fruit, seasons, rain.

• Materials like metals, oils, and elements that allow us to build, travel, and create technology.

Every pleasure, every taste, every beautiful sight, every good smell, every moment of joy, are all direct gifts from God.

How much would a blind person pay to see? Or a deaf person to hear? Or someone mute to speak? What would someone give to walk without pain, to digest food properly, or to breathe freely? Even the wealthiest people on earth would trade their fortunes to regain these basic that you enjoy daily without payment.

With this understanding, how can we grow angry over a failed exam or other small frustrations, when we are surrounded by blessings worth millions? Even difficulties are ultimately for our good, like the surgeon’s cut that heals.

4. God Is the Source of Mercy Itself

Your ability to feel compassion for yourself or for others exists only because God placed mercy into your nature. If you feel anger at Him, you are forgetting that He is the very source of mercy.

Consider His Torah: “Love your neighbor as yourself,”“Do not put a stumbling block before the blind,”“Do not gossip,”“Do not covet,”“Love the stranger.” Every moral instinct you have comes from Him.

There are cruel people in the world with little compassion. Animals show almost no mercy toward their own kind. Human compassion is a divine gift. The Sages call God “Rachmana” — the Merciful One and He is described as “slow to anger and abundant in kindness." The Jewish people, too, are known as “compassionate, modest, and generous.” Our mercy flows from His mercy.

How could God be less merciful than we are, when He is the very wellspring of compassion? Any impression of cruelty comes only from our lack of understanding. This world is hidden from us — we see only fragments of a larger plan that spans lifetimes and reincarnations.

In the World to Come, when the truth is revealed, we will see that God was more merciful, loving, and fair, than we could ever have imagined.