Throwing Your Sucker in the Dirt

Matthew 11:1–12

Have you ever gotten mad at God or ever felt like God didn’t care or is unfair to you and you wanted to throw your sucker in the dirt? Here’s four ways we get upset at God:

I. No Good Deed Goes Unpunished:

a. Sometimes people get mad at God when they feel mistreated or unappreciated, and God doesn’t help them. You’ve been taking a stand for God; been living right—and you suffer for it, and you say, “Well, where’s God? Why is this happening to me?” That happened to John the Baptist. He did everything God called him to do and ended up in prison and having doubts.

b. People get offended with God when they get persecuted for doing right. But John took his questions to Jesus. If God never answers your prayer, will you serve Him anyway? Will you serve God without receiving from God what you want; but receiving from Him what He gives? If you’re serving God, doing good, all these wonderful things, if you end up in a dungeon, just remember that God is God.

II. Throwing Dirt is Losing Ground:

a. Some people get mad with God when they get rebuked for doing wrong (Matthew 15:7-12). The Pharisees got offended. They pouted. Sucker-in-dirt! They got mad because He told them the truth. People get offended at truth. And those who throw dirt, lose ground.

b. Are you mad at God because things aren’t working out the way you think they should? Or because you’re convicted, and the Lord has your number and your name, and the Lord sees through the charade that everything’s alright in your life? Don’t get mad at God.

III. Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed:

a. Some people lower their expectations of themselves to the place where they’re always met. But no one is ever able to meet THEIR expectations. And people get mad at God because their expectations are not met (John 6:53-63). John the Baptist was offended because he got persecuted for doing good. The Pharisees were offended because they got rebuked for doing bad. And now the disciples are offended because they’re not hearing what they want.

IV. Envy eats nothing but its own heart:

a. Some people get offended at God because of envy. They envy other people. God has been too good to other people or not good enough to them. They see other people blessed, and they’re not blessed equally (Mark 6:1-3). They were offended at Jesus.

b. The sad thing about that is the Bible says Jesus could do no mighty works there because of their unbelief. When they got mad at somebody else’s blessings, envy ate its own heart, and they missed the blessing Jesus could have been to them. Let’s follow John the Baptist’s example and come to Jesus with all our questions and learn that He is the Answer. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”