Frustrated? There’s Hope!
I was frustrated. Nothing was going as planned. Distractions kept hindering my progress. I wasn’t angry. Just frustrated.
Or so I told myself.
However, the dog I kicked and the husband whose head I bit off had other ideas. They experienced anger.
I wasn’t angry at them. In fact, I didn’t think I was angry at all, but if I don’t want to hurt the ones I love, I need to face reality and get honest with myself. Sometimes it’s a computer problem or a long phone call that hindered my plans and led to frustration, but the emotion that built inside was vented on loved ones, with negative effect.
Frustration usually happens when our plans are blocked and our will is thwarted.
Therein lies the problem. In the moment, we are focused on what we want or what we want to do. We’re not considering that the Lord plans our days or what He wants for us. Consequently, we don’t remember that He is with us, He will care for us, His grace is sufficient for whatever we encounter, His strength is made known in our weakness, and that if we love Him, He works all things for our good.
In short, when frustrated, we’re probably viewing the situation as if we’re on our own and like a favorable outcome is dependent on us. In essence, we deny Christ and His part in our lives. We then justify anger by calling it frustration. We don’t stop to realize that if indeed frustration springs from denying God and the grace available through Him, it is sin.
If we deny Christ, He will also deny us (2 Tim 2: 12). Right when we need His grace the most, it will not be available.
However, if we turn our eyes to the Lord, remind ourselves of His promises, and invite Him into the problem, we will discover His grace—which is always sufficient.
Teach us, Lord, to live in You moment by moment of each day.
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to [you] everything pertaining to the life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Pet. 1:2-3).
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