Questions and Answers | Being Angry
Is it alright to be angry when someone you love dies? Or is being angry a lack of faith in God and His plans?
It’s not only alright to be angry when someone you love dies, but also appropriate. Though not everyone may feel anger, it is an expected stage in the grieving process.
Jesus demonstrated these human emotions. In John 11:35, when Lazarus died, we are told that “Jesus wept.” The word “wept” is also translated as “deeply moved.” This same term is used when Jesus came to the tomb in verse 38. Other uses of the term in Scripture seem to contain the sense of “indignation” or “rage.” Death is not good; it should not be sentimentalized. Death is the result of the fall, of sin; it destroys and separates. In the incarnation Jesus shared in our suffering. He was not an automaton. And even today, He is present with us in our times of sorrow and anger, reminding us of eternity.
BY Dr. Rosalie de Rosset
Dr. Rosalie de Rosset has been teaching at Moody Bible Institute in the Communications Department for over five decades. She is occasionally featured on Moody Radio. Rosalie is a published author, respected speaker, and talented writer. She lives on the northside of Chicago, a city she enjoys for its natural beauty and multi-faceted art offerings.