Is It Good Therapy to Argue with God?

Search the Scriptures Daily Program #0704c 

CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH

Gary: You are listening to Search the Scriptures Daily, a radio ministry of The Berean Call. Still ahead, Dave and Tom continue their weekly in-depth study of the doctrine of salvation. Please stay with us. Now, Contending for the Faith. In this regular feature, Dave and Tom respond to questions from listeners and readers of The Berean Call. Here’s this week’s question: “Dear Dave and T.A., A book I’m reading tells me that it’s okay to argue with God. It says that to do so pleases God and presents David, Job, and Habakkuk as examples. This doesn’t seem right, but I’m not sure. What do you say?”

Tom:  Now, Dave, when you read through the Psalms, because they’re pointing to David, it does seem at least, if you’re reading it quickly, that David has a complaint against God. He’s arguing with God about something. But isn’t it more his circumstance that God’s allowing him to go through? I don’t know.

Dave:  I don’t think he’s ever arguing with God to the extent of saying, “God you are wrong. God, come over to my point of view.” I don’t know that.

Now, Abraham might be an example someone would use, but again I don’t think it fits. Abraham wasn’t arguing with God, he was pleading with God when he said, “Well, if there are fifty righteous would you destroy…” you know, “…if there were forty…and, God, could I dare to ask once more if there were ten righteous…then would you spare Sodom and Gomorrah?” I don’t see that as arguing with God, okay?

Now to cry out to God and say, “Wow, I’ve got such horrible circumstances. The trials and tribulations I’m going through…”—that’s fine, but you wouldn’t doubt God. You would never doubt God’s character. You would never doubt His love. You would never doubt His wisdom and His guidance. You might be unhappy with it, but…what he has allowed, but to argue with Him and say, “God, you should have done it another way”—I don’t find that in the Bible. If you can come up with—or this person could come up with an example. Is it in—? Now this I understand is from Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Drive Life. Does he give specific examples of that?

Tom:  Well, he does quote Psalm:142:2I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.
See All.... Let’s take a look at that.

Dave:  All right. It says, “I poured out my complaint before him. I showed before him my trouble.” Well…

Tom:  Well, Dave, and I checked with—you know in Rick Warren’s book. We’ve been going through it. And it’s presented, it seems to me, as a therapy, as a good therapy—that you wrestle with God, you vent, you get this out, you present God with your doubts, and so on. And this is, I think, the thrust here is therapeutic, which …

Dave:  You mean from the book.

Tom:  I don’t think it’s biblical—yeah, from the book. Right. So is David doing that?

Dave:  I don’t believe so. Tom, lets go down: “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me. Refuge failed me. No man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, O LORD. I said, thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.”

So it seems to me, instead of complaining, his complaint is against his circumstances. It’s not against God. In fact, he is saying, “God you are my refuge.” So unless he can find another example—was it Psalm:102:1(A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD.) Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.
See All... I think is mentioned?

Tom:  Well, that would be where the same term is used: The complaint—although he’s using a paraphrase here. He says, “I pour out my”—you know he uses in the, I’m not sure, I think this is the New Living Bible, but he says, “I pour out my complaints.” You know, again, the whole idea here is that being a friend of God—that’s what this chapter—I assume this person is referring to that—the chapter is called “Developing your friendship with God.” And you know, you can vent with friends, you can pour out your heart, you can bring to them your doubts and so on. Therapeutic, Dave. Not true to God’s Word, I don’t think.

Dave, that’s the only verse that I find quoted there, but there is a general reference to Moses, David, Abraham, Job, and others. But Job, again it’s his circumstance. But what does Job say at the end of his circumstance? “Before my ears had only heard of thee, but now my eyes seeth thee and I repent, I abhor myself. I repent in dust and ashes.”

Dave:  Well, Tom, let’s look at it from another standpoint. He’s recommending that we argue with God? That we disagree? Because an argument is a disagreement. “Well, God, you shouldn’t have let this happen to me.” It’s a complaint supposedly. I would not dare to do that with God. In other words, as soon as I complain to God, or I argue with God, I’m saying—or even if I complain about my circumstances to the extent that I say, “This isn’t right that you allowed this,” then I’m saying either “I’m out of God’s will,” or “God doesn’t really love me.” And I can’t say that. So, you know, Job—what did Job say? He references Job. Rick Warren references Job. What did Job say? “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him.”

So, Tom, in my own heart and from what I know of the Bible, I wouldn’t dare try to tell God He’s wrong. “You shouldn’t have let that happen. How come, God?”

No, I might say, “Oh, God, it’s so bad. Would you help me, Lord?” But then I say, “Lord please show me why this has been allowed, because I know there’s a lesson that I must learn.”

Tom:  Dave, going back to having read this chapter in Rick Warren’s book. This is therapeutic, and the idea in therapy is that you vent. So he’s saying it’s okay to vent before God, to bring your hidden rifts, as it were. But there’s no—what’s the point of that? There’s no correction, there’s no—just because you’re venting. Where do you change? Where do you recognize I’m the one at fault? God forgive me. Venting doesn’t bring that about.

Dave:  No.