Is it ok to be mad at God?

Recently, I was approached by a man experiencing homelessness who asked me a sincere and weighty question: “Is it okay to be mad at God?” He didn’t ask it casually, his voice carried years of struggle, disappointment, and pain. I could tell this wasn’t just a passing thought. It was a cry from the depths of someone wrestling with life’s hardest realities.

Before answering, I asked if I could be completely honest. He nodded and told me that’s exactly what he wanted. My initial instinct was to give a straightforward response, but I paused and thought for a moment. Instead, I responded with a question of my own: “Are you mad at God, or are you mad at your situation?”

What he said next surprised even him.

He looked down and quietly admitted, “I guess I’m mad at my situation. But God just feels like an easy target.”

That moment opened the door to a much deeper conversation, one that touched on faith, frustration, accountability, and ultimately, hope. We sat and talked at length about choices. Not all situations are the result of our own actions, but many times, our circumstances are shaped by the series of decisions we’ve made along the way. And it’s important to acknowledge that each decision carries consequences, some good, some bad, some seen immediately, and some not for years.

I shared a scripture that has guided me through difficult seasons: Deuteronomy 30:19  “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your seed.”

This verse reminds us that while we are not in control of everything, we are given the power of choice. We can choose obedience or disobedience, wisdom or impulse, forgiveness or bitterness. And while the path of obedience doesn’t guarantee an easy life, it does position us under God’s provision and guidance.

As we continued talking, I could see a shift beginning. He started to reflect, not just on what had happened to him, but on the choices he had made in response. He began to take ownership, not in a way that condemned him, but in a way that empowered him to make different decisions moving forward.

One important truth we landed on together was this: Living according to God’s will doesn’t fix everything the way we want it to be fixed. Faith isn’t a magic formula for comfort or success. It’s not about avoiding hardship, it’s about finding purpose and peace in the midst of it. God doesn’t promise to remove every obstacle, but He does promise to walk with us through every valley.

Being mad at God isn’t uncommon. The Psalms are filled with moments where David cried out in anger, confusion, and grief. God is big enough to handle our honesty, but He also invites us to dig deeper and examine the root of our frustration. Often, we discover that we’re not angry at God’s character, we’re just hurting from life’s brokenness, much of which stems from our own or others’ choices.

That conversation didn’t end with all the answers tied up in a neat bow. But it did end with something far more powerful: a sense of clarity, an open heart, and a glimpse of hope. And sometimes, that’s exactly where healing begins.

In a world that often offers shallow sympathy or empty advice, may we learn to sit with people in their pain, ask thoughtful questions, and gently point them toward truth, truth that brings life.

Be Who God Made Made You to Be

​Across all major social media platforms, I’ve been sharing short devotional videos under a series called the Bee-Attitudes—bite-sized messages of encouragement and biblical truth. One video in particular, titled “Be Who God Made You to Be,” recently drew unexpected attention. It was flagged for inciting violence and, on one platform, even restricted from viewers under 18 years old. That shocked me.

There was no violence. No aggression. Just a truth many don’t want to face: You were created with purpose, precision, and divine intention—and you don’t need to pretend to be someone else to be accepted.

This message came from a place of deep observation and real ministry. As someone who serves both in the church and on the streets with the poor and homeless, I’ve seen the raw, unfiltered reality of people who have nothing left to hide. Many of these men and women are not performing. They’re not rehearsing for Sunday. They’re not masking their pain with polished smiles or dressed-up religion. They are who they are—flawed, hurting, searching. And they’re more honest about it than most churchgoers I’ve ever met.

Psalm 139:14 says, “I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” That’s not just poetry—it’s identity. It’s a declaration that each one of us carries God’s fingerprint. When we deny our design or chase someone else’s calling, we’re not only burdening ourselves with unnecessary comparison—we’re stepping out of alignment with the very reason we were created.

God didn’t form you to mimic someone else’s highlight reel. He formed you to reflect His glory in your unique way. Being who God made you to be means embracing your gifts, your story, and your identity without apology. It’s about standing in your truth—not someone else’s version of success.

One of the saddest realities I see in churches today is the pressure to perform. Many people put on a Sunday face, hiding behind routines and rituals that don’t always reflect what’s going on in their hearts. And while the church is meant to be a place of healing, it can sometimes become a stage. A place where brokenness is hidden instead of brought into the light.

By contrast, those experiencing poverty or homelessness don’t have the luxury of pretense. When you’re living under a bridge or eating from a soup kitchen, there’s no pressure to impress. You just show up as you are. And in that, there’s something deeply honest—something the rest of us could learn from.

This isn’t just a message for the poor or the struggling. It’s a message for everyone who has ever questioned their worth or felt pressure to be someone they’re not. Maybe that’s you.

Let me say it clearly: No one else can fill your spot in God’s plan.

Don’t let culture, comparison, or even church expectations rob you of your identity. God’s purpose for your life is too important to be muted, masked, or mistaken for someone else’s.

The irony that a message like this could be flagged as dangerous only reinforces its importance. Maybe truth, in a world so addicted to image, is dangerous—dangerous to the lies we’ve believed about who we are and what we’re worth.

So, I’ll keep sharing these messages. I’ll keep walking with those the world overlooks. And I’ll keep reminding anyone who will listen:

Be who God made you to be. That’s not just encouragement—it’s your calling.

Is Jesus Enough?

Jesus Is Enough A Wake Up Call for the Western Church

Somewhere along the way, the American Church began to shift. What was once a gathering of Christ followers focused on reverence, prayer, and mission has, in many places, evolved into something much different. Something much more comfortable.

We have become consumers. Customers. Shoppers in a spiritual marketplace where churches compete to provide religious goods and services. We rate sermons like podcasts, music like concerts, children’s ministry like entertainment venues, and coffee like a cafe experience. If we are not satisfied, we move on to the next church, the next experience, or the next place that better fits our preferences.

But here is the hard truth. Church is not about us. It is not about our comfort or our entertainment. It is not even about our children’s enjoyment. Church is about God.

We should not be asking if the coffee was hot enough or if the music was too loud. We should not be critiquing the service like restaurant patrons or asking if the gathering was fun enough for our kids. Those questions place us at the center. We are not the center. God is.

The questions we should be asking are very different. God, how do we worship You? How do we honor You in spirit and truth? How do we center our lives and our churches on You?

This is His church. This is His Word. We are not self made. We were created by God and for God. We exist to worship Him. One day we will stand before Him and give an account, not for how comfortable we made ourselves, but for how faithfully we followed Christ.

At the same time, something very different is happening in other parts of the world. In many developing nations, the Church is not shrinking. It is growing and thriving. We see it firsthand and through countless reports. Worship is vibrant. Prayer is central. Evangelism is urgent and bold.

These believers often have no large buildings or advanced technology. What they do have is a deep and unwavering conviction that Jesus is enough.

They live with urgency. They share the gospel without fear. They do not need a polished experience to encounter God. They meet Him in small homes, open fields, and simple gathering places. They understand something that is being lost in the comfort and consumption of the Western Church. Our completeness is found in Christ alone.

Paul reminds us of this truth in Colossians 2:10.

“In Him you have been filled, who is the head over all rule and authority.”

Jesus also made our mission clear in Matthew 28:18-20 LSB.

“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”

This is not a suggestion. It is a calling. It is a mission. One that has been buried under comfort, convenience, and spiritual consumption in many Western churches.

As we move into 2026, here is the charge. Stop striving for human approval. Stop chasing the next spiritual experience just to feel complete. Stop consuming and start worshiping.

Jesus is enough.

Let us live like we believe it.