Why would anyone want to get to know a God who gets angry every time we do something wrong. That is a lot of anger because I don’t even live up to my own standards on a daily basis. I think of a relationship with God as similar to a relationship between a parent and their older child. A relationship with a younger child is different because they may not fully understand hitting or yelling at another child makes relationships impossible. As we mature most when inflicting verbal or physical harm on others understand the damage done.
It can be human nature for a parent to lash out in anger when an older child does something that is not in the best interest for themselves or others. Many parents though begin to realize such reactions don’t serve any helpful purpose. When a parent has established a relationship with their child, the child already feels they have disappointed others. This is similar for those who have decided a relationship with God is a worthwhile endeavor. We already have enough guilt. God doesn’t wish to pile on. We need to know God still cares about us and has not given up on us.
Does God not understand this relational insight and become angry every time we make a misstep? God is no different than parents who begin to realize they don’t have to heap on additional consequences. When ticketed for driving too fast we already have to pay a fine. When we treat others wrongly, we won’t have many friends. Parents with teenagers are often not able to have an influential relationship because they don’t allow a child to be self-guided while coming alongside to support. God too wants us to freely choose God’s ways if we come to understand they have our best interest in mind as does a loving parent.
A spouse has every right to feel anger and expect legal intervention when a partner strikes them and feels no remorse. But most reading this have a conscious. God wants us to know they hurt when we hurt. God doesn’t want us to feel distant because of how we think God feels. God wants us to know they desire to be an encourager in a time of need. God wants us to know they will never give up on us despite our failures. When we suggest God is angry all the time, we portray God as less of a lover than a human parent.
What God May Really Be Like - Misbeliefs About God 