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).
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b References
Entwistle, D., N. (2015). Integrative approaches to psychology and Christianity: An
introduction to b b b b b b b b worldview issues, philosophical foundations, and models
of integration (3rd Ed.). CASCADE b b b b b b b b b b Books.
Gordon, E.C. (2018). Intellectual humility, spirituality, and counseling. Journal of
Psychology and b b b b b b b b b b b 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! b b b b b b b b ALIVE Ministries.
Strelan, P., Acton, C., & Patrick, K. (2009). Disappointment with God and well-
being: The mediating b b b b b b influence of relationship quality and dispositional
forgiveness. Journal of Psychology and b b b b Theology, 37(3), 204-207.
