The music and sparkle of Christmas doesn’t bring joy to everyone. For many this is the season of grief, melancholy, anger—and resentment toward God specifically.
Pastor, author, and church planter Dr. John Snyder talks with me in this Inside Out podcast about disappointment, disillusionment, and resentment toward God, and how we can move through them toward a faith in God that will sustain us and honor Him.
“Loss is one of the greatest things that affects us, especially at the holiday times,” he says. “We think of people we’ve loved who were taken early. Or even children who were taken and we can’t get over that. And so when Christmas comes along we might remember those happy Christmases we had earlier.”
Drawing from his own experience of loss, Snyder has written the new book Resenting God: Escape the Downward Spiral of Blame. He talks with me about honesty with God, knowing God for who He really is, and the slow process of moving forward.
“People have said there’s no way out of this. There’s no solution, there’s no hope, there’s nothing but darkness,” he says. “And I’d be able to say, you know, I understand, but the sun will come out again and we will see it together. We’re going to pray together, we’re going to be together, I’m going to walk with you through it, together, and we’re going to see the sun come out together. And it does. It really happens.”
Click on the LISTEN or DOWNLOAD icon above to hear our 14-minute conversation.
Learn about Dr. John Snyder’s book, Resenting God: Escape the Downward Spiral of Blame
“There’s never a situation in this world where there’s no way out, because God creates an exodus. And exodus is not just an exit: it’s a way out as well as a way in.”