I am writing a book about being angry at God. The purpose of the book is to share my experiences and to help others who are or have been angry at God and are trying to find ways to deal with that anger without losing their faith or how to regain their faith if they believe they have lost it. I am looking for input from others.

Below are some of the things I would like to know.

• Are you or have you been angry at God?
• Do you have a story to tell? I would love to hear your stories.
• Do you think it’s okay to be angry at God? Why or why not?
• If you were to pick up a book about being angry at God, what kinds of questions would you hope the book answered? What would you like to read about most in a book like that?
• When struggling with your own anger or faith issues, what kinds of things have people said to you that helped or didn’t help?
• What kinds of support would you like to receive?
• Are there any scriptures in the Bible that you’ve found to be helpful or supportive when dealing with anger?

Any input, stories, or suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated. You can post your comments, suggestions, questions, and stories in the comments below. Or, if you prefer to keep your comments private, please use the Contact Me form to send them directly to me. All information sent to me will be kept confidential.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” – Matthew 5:6 (NKJV)

Have you ever been really hungry or really thirsty? Have you ever craved something so badly that you can’t think about anything else until you get it? When you get like that, you can’t focus on anything else. All you can think about is getting something to eat or something to drink. Nothing else matters until you get it. This is the way God wants us to crave Him. He wants us to hunger and thirst for Him and He promises that if we do, we will be filled and He will fill us with something far more satisfying than anything we can find in this world.

Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness? Are you hungry for God? Do you crave intimacy and a personal relationship with God? Or do you reach for him like an occasional snack, whenever it’s convenient or you need a spiritual energy boost?

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” – Matthew 6:31-33

The Bible tells us that our focus should always be on God  above everything else. We are not to focus on the things in this world, including our physical and worldly needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter. We are to focus on God and God alone. When we do that, we will be filled and God will take care of all of those other needs.

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t bother to go to work or the grocery store or anything like that. We still need to do those things. They just shouldn’t be the most important things in our life. Our focus should always be on God. When we work, we should work for the glory of God. When we go to the store, our mind should be on gratitude to God for providing for us. God should be the first thing we think of in the morning when we wake up and the last thing we think about before falling asleep at night. He should be in our minds and hearts throughout the day. Everything else is just empty stuff.

If you don’t already have a heart for God, stop what you’re doing right now and pray to Him. Ask Him to give you one. Ask Him to teach you to hunger and thirst for righteousness so that He can fill you with His love.

“Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world” – 1 Peter 2:12 (NKJV)

One of the things I struggled with on my path to becoming a Christian and the accusation I often hear from current non-believers is the perceived hypocrisy among people who call themselves Christians. Statistics show that the divorce rate among Christians is the same as among non-Christians. Christians commit adultery and fornication just as often as non-Christians. Christians are also just as likely as non-Christians to resort to unethical behavior in the workplace. We bicker and fight and show hatred and intolerance when we should show compassion and use our opportunities to win lost souls to Christ.

It’s as if we go to Church on Sunday morning and then, when we go home to change out of our Sunday clothes, we also change out of our Sunday “Church” behavior and put on everyday worldly behavior for the rest of the week. If we are just like the non-believers, what reason do they have to become a Christian? They are already “like us.” Is that what Christlike means?

Here are some important questions to ask yourself:

• How are you different from the non-Christian people around you?
• Do the people around you know that you are a Christian? Do they know because you tell them or because they see it in the way you behave? The way you live your life?
• If someone placed you in a room full of non-believers and an independent witness observed the room for an hour, would they be able to pick you out as the Christian in the room?

 “Let your light shine so before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” - Matthew 5:16 (NKJV)

When we become Christians, the Holy Spirit dwells IN us, to shine through us as an example of Christ, so that non-believers see Him in us and turn to God. We are “in the world, but not of the world” and our actions should reflect our identity in Christ. Everything you do or do not do should be a reflection of Christ, regardless of the cost. Sometimes, that means you might be hated for refusing to go along with unethical behavior. You might be thought of as “weird.” You might lose a good friend. You might even lose your job. Do it anyway.

“But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. ‘And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.’ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” – 1 Peter 3:14-17 (NKJV)

The To Be A Light blog has been around for a long time, but after my brother died unexpectedly on September 22, 2007 at the age of 32, I lost the heart for it and stopped writing on this blog. I didn’t stop blogging entirely. I just stopped blogging on To Be A Light. It was too painful to be here, especially after writing about the loss of my brother. I could never seem to come up with a post that seemed right following that one.

Recently, after much soul searching, I decided to wipe out the original To Be A Light and start over. I’ve given the site a whole new, much brighter and more cheerful, design and I’m ready to start writing on it again. I hope you’ll join me in creating the motivating and uplifting experience I originally intended for this blog.

Stay tuned for the exciting, new version of To Be A Light.