A1 – Job
Job angrily presented his grief to the Lord. The Message has Job crying out, “I’m not letting up — I’m standing my ground. My complaint is legitimate. God has no right to treat me like this — it isn’t fair!” (Job 23:1-7).
Scripture depicts grief in all of its mess, but despair and anger are only two possible responses. After John was beheaded, Jesus “withdrew […] to a desolate place by himself” (Matthew 14:13). Jesus’ heart was full — John was his cousin, after all, and a faithful believer that Jesus was the Christ.
A2 – Anger and Despair
Anger and despair are understandable phases of grief, but God does not intend for us to stay angry or hopeless. Ongoing anger turns to bitterness and distortion. It separates people from God as they become judgmental and negative, isolated, and hurtful.
Despair is no better when one no longer believes that God is good, that God has a plan, and that He is Sovereign.
An angry person sees other people as inferior, forgetting that we are all made in the Image of God. The despairing person forgets that she is not identified as a “victim” but as one made in that same Image.