There are some things in life we simply can’t avoid: disappointment, a difficult medical diagnosis, illness, rejection, and unexpected changes that turn our world upside down. In moments like these, I’ve often heard well-meaning Christians say things like, “God has a plan,” or “don’t question God, just trust Him.” The intention is usually to comfort someone who is hurting, and I understand the heart behind those words. But I’ve come to believe that these responses often don’t bring the comfort we hope they will. In fact, they can leave a person feeling unheard in the middle of their pain. Here’s why.

I have been reading through the book of Psalms and let me tell you, the palmists didn’t hold back. They were honest about their emotions. They questioned God, poured out their frustrations, expressed grief, and even admitted when they didn’t understand what He was doing. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from reading the Psalms, it’s that God isn’t intimidated by our questions. He welcomes our honesty and transparency. What stands out to me, though, is that while the psalmists were honest about how they felt, they didn’t stay there. They consistently reminded themselves of who God is, His faithfulness, His goodness, and His character, even when their circumstances didn’t make sense. Take Psalm 73 for example.

In this chapter, the psalmist (Asaph) is struggling with the fact that people who do wrong and don’t obey the Lord’s commands are prospering and having a time of their life while his life is so dry. “For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked…they scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression…behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches…” ~ Psalm 73:3, 8, 12 (ESV).

This is what transparency with the Lord looks like. God is not offended by our honesty, nor does He rebuke us for bringing Him our questions. A genuine relationship with God requires us to be genuine, not performative. Too often, we think faith means pretending we’re okay or hiding our doubts. But throughout Scripture, we see that God invites us to come to Him exactly as we are. Transparency is what cultivates intimacy with the Lord, and intimacy is where real growth happens. By the end of Psalm 73, Asaph’s circumstances haven’t changed but his perspective has. After pouring out his confusion and frustration, he reminds himself of who God is.

“When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.” ~ Psalm 73:21-23 (ESV). Asaph wasn’t the only psalmist to be this brutally honest with God, David was too. Jeremiah, Job and the writer of proverbs all had similar sentiments (Job 21:5-26, Jeremiah 12:1, Proverbs 23:17).

Today, I encourage you to read those scriptures in your personal time with the Lord and meditate on them. I hope they encourage you to be honest with God about whatever may be going on in your life. As we do this, I believe we are going to continue growing 2gether. Grace and Peace 🙂