Angry with God: An Honest Journey through Suffering and Betrayal

Brad Hambrick skilfully leads the reader through an exploration and processing of their anger and grief due to suffering, betrayal or loss. With very small, bite sized chapters, the reader is encouraged to process the hot emotions of grief in a way that allows for self-reflection, honesty, discovery, and growth. Over time the goal is to move from angry grief to memorialising grief. The multifaceted effects of anger is considered through emotions, thoughts, relationships, choices, and our view of God. Steps to resolution result from maturing faith, understanding suffering is part of life, and accepting that we only understand partially. He then returns to the gospel and how our pain can be viewed through the lenses of creation, fall, redemption, sanctification, and glorification. Hambrick uses counselling skills and processes skilfully, and sensitively combines them with gospel truths. It is a counselling tool in your own hands. Additionally, a counsellor could use this to assist a client through a grief process. A very helpful resource.

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In full honesty, Angry with God: An Honest Journey Through Suffering and Betrayal was a difficult book to get through at times, but I thoroughly enjoyed the book and appreciated how it handled the sometimes delicate matter. As someone who deals with anxiety and has friends and family that either survive mental health issues daily or either work in the mental health field, I thought Angry with God was very well written. I appreciated how Brad Hambrick reiterated to the reader numerous times throughout the book to take their time with the book and to take breaks when it got too hard to read. This not only shows compassion from the Author, but the knowledge and expertise of some one working in the mental health field. I love that the subject of being angry with God wasn’t being brushed under the rug, but dealt with. I love that it was reiterated that being angry at God was ok, but that being angry at God can at times make God seem distant from us and that’s not the best. I love that it pointed out that being angry at God actually shows a sense of growth and depth in one’s relationship with God. I also appreciated that Mr. Hambrick reiterated that there is no time table to no longer feel angry with God and that it is normal to take steps back at times. If you work in the mental health field or are in Ministry, have dealt with anger toward God, or have in the past, then I highly recommend Angry with God: An Honest Journey Through Suffering and Betrayal. I will definitely be reading Angry with God: An Honest Journey Through Suffering and Betrayal again and telling those I believe will benefit from the book about it! I would like to thank New Growth Press for giving me a copy of Angry with God: An Honest Journey Through Suffering and Betrayal to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Full Review at: https://leslieslibraryescape.wordpress.com/2022/10/06/book-review-angry-with-god-an-honest-journey-through-suffering-and-betrayal/

I don't think I have ever seen a book about anger with God. In fact, although I've been angry with God myself, I've found it a subject that most humans weren't comfortable talking with me about. And I wasn't really comfortable either! But when I read Brad Hambrick's Angry With God, I thought, FINALLY. Hambrick compassionately covers the whys of grief and anger, the losses that they can bring in the grieving person over time, the costs that unhealed anger exacts from us all, and the ways that we can thoughtfully walk out healing. Thoughtfully and empathetically written, this book is a must-read for anyone who's ever struggled with the mystery of grief and its ensuing anger in the life of a Christian. I highly recommend Angry With God.

My Thoughts: In the grief cycle, anger is one of the stages in it. And this book, Angry with God addresses that huge stopping point in the grief cycle. The grief cycle is denial or avoidance. Anger. Bargaining-why did this happen? Depression. Acceptance. An important first statement in the book I believe is important. “If the info in the book is moving too fast, pause.” This is the first point I want to address about the book. This is a heavy meal kind of book packed into 160 pages. It is filled with teachings and questions for the reader to answer. I feel it is weighty. Too much to take in for a person who is especially grieving. One person’s slow reading may not be what another person’s slow reading is and so on. Also, taking one page at a time may be too much. I had a feeling of overwhelmed while reading Angry with God. However, I believe this is an important book. I believe the questions are fantastic. But I feel it would be better for the content and questions to be broken down further-other books or a serious of books on grieving. I also feel it will be a good idea for the mentee and mentor or the counselor and counselee to work on this book together. An important topic is heavily addressed in the book. How to handle and express anger with God. Angry with God is more than a title, it is the biggest theme and topic in the book. I came away with a feeling of peace about my particular feelings and words, that in the past, I’d directed and expressed to God. At this point in life, my prayers are becoming deeper, transparent; and at the point where I lose a sense of place and time because I am “in prayer” so deep. Anger with God is okay. In the past I’d not thought it was okay. Hambrick teaches us to push through in this feeling and work towards answering questions like why I am angry, and what is behind the anger. To clarify, “Angry grief is morally different from selfish anger; it calls for comfort, not repentance.” There are five sections with five chapters in each of them. “It’s Safe to Talk About Your Anger.” “Articulating Your Pain.” “Alleviating the Effects of Pain.” “Resolving Your Grief.” “Contextualizing Your Journey in the Gospel.” Several reasons why I love this book: A chapter on pacing and preparing for the work of dealing with anger. A list of things to look for and develop in a healthy positive friend relationship. Having a healthy “mid journey perspective.” One of my favorite questions in the entire book: “If my pain could talk what would it say?” Questions to help educate about “learning from painful experiences.” Understanding “primary emotions” and “secondary emotions.” A chart to help “gauge” our “level of trust for people.” And a statement that I’m still pondering: “grieving when we’re right about painful events maybe the most difficult form of grief.” *I’d like to hear further teaching on this. Source: I received a complimentary e-book from New Growth Press. I am not required to write a positive review. Audience: Readers who have an interest in learning about and healing from grief and anger.

I think this is the most comprehensive book I have ever seen to help a Christian work through hurt, pain and anger. Hambrick's aim is not to offer any answers for why one has suffered but rather to invite readers to be honest in exploring their hurt, pain and anger at God. The book provides an opportunity for the reader to express the anger and process the pain. Hambrick looks at pain and anger from more aspects than I knew existed. Ultimately, he desires we come to the realization God is alongside us as a trusted friend. This is not a book one just reads. The book requires work. There are scores of questions Hambrick wants us to think through and write our responses. In that sense, this is a workbook. I almost felt like I was sitting in front of a psychologist, following his instructions on processing my pain and anger. At times, the text sounded a little like a psychologist too, my having to work to understand some of the terminology. But the end result is having some good strategies for healing pain and anger. This book might be hard for some to work their way through. It will take time and determination. I would suggest reading it with a trusted friend for support and discussion. This would also be a good book for a lay counselor as a template for helping others work through issues. I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

This is such wonderful book and tool to help people work through their anger and grief, whether it is due to the loss of a loved one, or someone who has hurt them irreparably. It's a gentle guide towards healing and coping with their profound loss. Healing takes time and patience, and sometimes others tend to try to force an individual to "move on..." when they are not spiritually, emotionally or spiritually ready. This guide to healing works with the person through each thought provoking chapter to ease them gently in the direction of God's great love for them and to reflect on what they have just read and how to apply the teaching tools to their own painful situation.