Disappointment with God and Well-being: The Mediating Influence of
Relationship Quality and Dispositional Forgiveness by Strelan, P., Acton, C., &
Patrick, K.
In the above article, Strelan et al. (2009), “sought to explore the relationship
between disappointment with God and well-being, including examining
potential mediating factors” (Strelan et al., 2009, p. 204). They set out to
investigate the assumption that spirituality and religion are associated with
psychological well-being. Thus, there comes the question “what happens
when someone experiences a tragic event and becomes disappointed with
God?” (Strelan et al., 2009, p. 204). Also, the assumption that “anger with
and unforgiveness of God may be related to decreased well-being, such as
depression and anxiety” (Strelan et al., 2009, p. 204).
The participants identified with a variety of Christian denominations in
Australia, with the largest group being Anglican at 48 percent. The
“questionnaires measured disappointment with God, spiritual maturity,
relationship commitment, dispositional forgiveness, psychological well-being
(i.e. depression, anxiety, and stress), and spiritual well-being” (Strelan et al.,
2009, p. 204).
Moreover, their findings reveal that; 1) “Most of the participants attributed
some degree of responsibility to God for tragic events in their lives.” 2) “In
general, those who felt disappointed with God were more likely to experience
depression and stress and less likely to experience spiritual well-being.” 3)
The mediating factors were partially “spiritual maturity and disposition to
forgive such that those who were mature and likely to forgive experienced
greater well-being even when they were disappointed with God.” 4) Finally,
“commitment to one’s relationship with God did not significantly mediate” the
relationship between these variables (Strelan et al., 2009, p. 204).
Consequently, Strelan et al., (2009) maintain “that dispositional forgiveness
helps mediate the relationship between disappointment with God and well-
being” (Strelan et al., 2009, p. 2004). Thus, “it may be helpful to provide
those who do not forgive very easily a deeper understanding of what it
means to forgive as well as the psychological and spiritual benefits that
comes with forgiveness” (Strelan et al., 2009, p. 204). With this, they
concluded by encouraging counselors/therapists to consider the result of
their study when counseling religious individuals who are disappointed in God.
From the forgoing, it is evident that the functional, structural, and relational
aspects are interwoven. The symptoms of depression and stress are
obviously related to the way the clients viewed self, others, and the world,
and this in turn affected their relationship with God. Nichols (2017) writes,
“How I see myself influences how I live” (Nichols, 2017, p. 19). We are
created in the image of God (Genesis 1: 27, NIV). As relational beings, we
realize ourselves and our full potentials in the society/community, in our
relationship with others which embodies our relationship with God (1 John 4:
20-21, NIV). Thus, our spiritual self/nature cannot be divorced from our
psychological and social self/nature.
Sequel to this, Gordon (2018) emphasizes the need for “therapist [counselors]
to cultivate and maintain the virtue of intellectual humility with respect to
spirituality in a counseling context” (Gordon, 2018, p. 279). According to
Entwistle (2015), “Humility as an intellectual virtue involves our recognition of
our intellectual abilities and liabilities. It allows us to receive corrections,
feedback, or affirmation appropriately, and to develop and exercise our
abilities unencumbered by arrogance or self-depression” (Entwistel, 2015, p.
100). It disposes us to recognize that, “All truth is ultimately under God’s
sovereignty” (Entwistle, 2015, p. 182). Also, it reminds and points us to the
fact that both psychology and theology share a “mutual interest in
understanding the ambiguities and mysteries of human behavior, and healing
human brokenness” (Entwistle, 2015, p. 57).
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d d References
Entwistle, D., N. (2015). Integrative approaches to psychology and Christianity:
An introduction to d d d d d d d worldview issues, philosophical foundations, and
models of integration (3rd Ed.). CASCADE d d d d d d d d d d Books.
Gordon, E.C. (2018). Intellectual humility, spirituality, and counseling. Journal
of Psychology and d d d d d d d d d d d Theology, 46(4), 279-291.
Holy Bible. (2011). New International Version. Biblica, Inc.
Nichols, K. (2017). Masterpiece: Seeing yourself as God’s work of art changes
everything! d d d d d d d d ALIVE Ministries.
Strelan, P., Acton, C., & Patrick, K. (2009). Disappointment with God and well-
being: The mediating d d d d d d influence of relationship quality and
dispositional forgiveness. Journal of Psychology and d d d d Theology, 37(3), 204-
207.
