God is most pleased when His servants exercise their zeal for righteousness and their fierce pursuit of fairness and justice, even when it entails contending with Him.
“Some people who read my first book, Night, were convinced that I broke with the faith and broke with God. Not at all. I never divorced God. It is because I believed in God that I was angry at God, and still am. The tragedy of the believer, it is deeper than the tragedy of the non-believer.” Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor
Everyone knows that the nuances and subtleties of our conversations reflect the depth and quality of our relationships.
As devout Christians with conservative views, we are taught to obey with a spirit of deference and humility, meaning without a shred of doubt or a probing question when dealing with God.
As such, many often tread lightly when conversing with the Lord, weighing every word with utmost care to steer clear of stepping out of line with God– and it’s the most prudent thing to do as the Bible itself encourages it.
God is all too wise to be questioned. Looking at His magnificent creations--the stunning stars and galaxies He brought to life, we can’t help but be awed by His wisdom and the majesty of His works.
Besides, didn’t God tell Job: “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me” (Job 38:2-3 NIV)?
Nevertheless, God sometimes welcomes dissent.
You don’t have to live too long in this world to realize the brutal realities of life. And as humans, we’re at the mercy of our flawed nature, buckling under the weight of our life’s searing trials. Thus, many, even steadfast Christians, can't help but hold grudges against God at some point.
God Cares About How You Feel
There were times in the Bible when God didn’t show even a hint of anger or the slightest annoyance when questioned by some of His most steadfast servants, instances where, despite His great power, He was more than willing to engage with His subjects—always having a human-centric approach to governing His people. This aspect of God’s character came to light when He allowed His most loyal servants to voice their dissenting views and anger without Him taking even the slightest offense.
The Orthodox Jews call it the holy Chutzpah—the audacity to challenge God to appeal to His sense of fairness and judgment.
What is Chutzpah?
Wikipedia defines it as "(Yiddish)... the quality of audacity, for good or for bad. A close English equivalent is sometimes 'hubris'. The word derives from the Hebrew ḥuṣpāh meaning "insolence", "cheek" or "audacity."
It’s about having the nerves, the audacity to overstep boundaries. As such, Chutzpah can be a force for good or a source of significant harm depending on how it’s used.
According to chabad.org, “Chutzpah can be destructive and ugly or vital and fantastic, but never in-between.”
The Boldness to Stand for Righteousness
Holy Chutzpah reflects our great faith and confidence in God. It’s all about having the fierceness to stand up for righteousness and the courage to confront wrongdoings despite unrelenting opposition. It can also be as low-key as glorifying God by singing songs of praise inside a bus carrying a crowd of secular commuters, or it can be challenging or negotiating with God, appealing to His sense of fairness.
God is most pleased when His servants exercise their zeal for righteousness and their fierce pursuit of fairness and justice, even when it entails contending with Him.
Thus, the Lord’s response to your bold defiance will depend on the true nature of your intentions. God knows the thoughts and intents of the heart. He could see right through us if our objections are a result of hidden resentment we have towards Him, driven by our self-serving motives, rather than defending God's holy name or advocating for justice and the common good.
Our Lord responds to holy Chutzpah!
Here are instances in the Bible where God’s ardent servants boldly engage God in a debate—negotiating with Him to appeal to His sense of justice:
Abraham’s Chutzpah
“The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord. Then Abraham approached Him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Genesis 18:22 (NIV)
God’s Response:
The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” Genesis 18:26 (NIV)
Abraham’s ardent desire to save as many people as possible pleased the Lord.As such, He never took offense when Abraham appealed to His sense of justice.
The Chutzpah of Moses
In the following verse, Moses felt burned out and utterly drained as he struggled to contend with the responsibilities of shepherding God’s people in the wilderness.
You could just imagine Moses’ distressing challenges as he led the Hebrews in the desert—many of whom were often embroiled in altercations, lodging frustrations, grievances, and complaints.
Thus, God acknowledged Moses’ frustrations when he expressed his grievances before Him:
“Why are you treating me, your servant, so harshly? Have mercy on me! What did I do to deserve the burden of these people? Did I give them birth like a mother? Did I bring them into the world? Why did You tell me to carry them in my arms like a mother carries a nursing baby? How can I carry them to the land You swore to give their ancestors? I can’t carry all the people by myself! The load is too heavy! If this is how You intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!” Numbers 11:11-15
One can’t ignore Moses’ daring remarks—but reading between the lines, you will witness Moses’ formidable faith and confidence in God’s great power and provisions. His brazen boldness to come before God, having the Chutzpah to reveal his raw emotions, only showed his helplessness and absolute reliance on God’s grace.
Thus, this was how God responded to Moses:
The Lord said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them. They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone.” Numbers 11:16-17
God is just. He welcomes grievances when they are justified.
As such, pouring out and laying bare our deep-seated emotions before God is the key to having our prayers answered. More often than not, in our fear of offending the Lord, we refrain from expressing our unfiltered, honest sentiments. As such, resentment towards God can take root, giving the enemy a foothold to manipulate our feelings and entice us to deviate from God’s righteous path.
Note: God is more than willing to listen to our grievances, but if they aren't justified or we’re trapped in the habit of complaining, we are provoking Him to anger.
Remember when the Hebrews wandered in the desert for forty years? A number of them angered God because of their constant whining and grumbling despite Him providing their needs in order to survive in the wilderness. As such, God swore in His anger, “they will not enter my rest” (Psalm 95:11).
Jacob’s Chutzpah
“I will not let You go unless You bless Me.” Genesis 32:26
Such a bold statement of Jacob reveals His unassailable confidence in God’s power and might. God is most pleased when we desire His blessings above all else.
It’s the same when Moses set a condition before yielding to God’s command:
“Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.” Exodus 33:15 (NKJV)
It’s just like saying, “God, we will not go where you want us to go unless You come with us.”
Just like a little child refusing to walk amid a bustling crowd without his father holding him by the hand, Moses would not dare go anywhere unless God was by his side.
Moses’ imposing statement is not about undermining God’s authority but rather a clear demonstration of his total reliance on God’s grace and protection.
Unfiltered Conversation with God
Expressing our raw emotions to God is not in the same vein as undermining His authority or showing Him disrespect. God knows your heart.
What God abhors is hypocrisy. Worshiping the Lord while harboring ill feelings towards Him is unacceptable. Rather, He appreciates a displeased, frustrated, but honest man who humbly bares his soul before God, not a man who exhibits a kind and gentle demeanor yet conceals simmering hostility towards Him.
“For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV)
Are you angry? Let Him know. Do you feel He’s unfair? Let Him know. Are you utterly depleted and worn out to the core? Let Him know.
When Elijah had reached his breaking point, he told God: “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep” (1 Kings 19:4).
How did God respond? He did not reprimand him but sent an angel to feed and minister to him:
“All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.” 1 Kings 19:5-6 (NIV)
As in any relationship, having honest, transparent communication is crucial to forge meaningful connections. It’s the same with our God. Our connection with the Lord can only thrive and deeply be nurtured when we lay bare our true feelings before Him, speaking from our hearts with raw honesty. Besides, He knows what’s in your heart—so why hide what you truly feel?
“I, the Lord, search the heart, test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:10 (NKJV)
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