Frustration is one of those strong emotions that we experience from opposition that creates a blockage to our momentum and motivation. Merriam Webster defines frustration as “a deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs”.
To have hope in frustrating times means we have to cultivate three things:
We must learn contentment. I Timothy 6:8, "But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." (NIV).
We must believe in His all sufficiency in our deficiency. Learning to be content requires us to have the Holy Spirit uproot the attitude and spirit of covetousness. Our culture of entitlement says “I’ll get what I want when I want and how I want it regardless to what others think or say.” Think of Abraham, a man of much possessions and a rich promise of being a father of many nations yet, he never possessed the land he lived in as he was just a sojourner and he won’t see the physical nation of Israel coming out of Egypt to take the Promised Land. Though Jesus did say Abraham saw the day of Lord and rejoiced.
We must learn to abide. John 15:4,"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." (NIV)
Live where the Lord abides even in places we rather not go. Abiding goes hand in hand with waiting. It means that there is set boundaries in which we learn to remain and patiently wait upon the Lord for direction. Frustration comes when we take matters into our hands rather than settle our hearts and minds long enough to hear God’s counsel. Even when we are surrounded by frustrated individuals that in turn frustrate us, we must make the choice to remain in the Spirit. How is this done? We start by being honest with the Lord regarding our problem, how we feel and ask for His help. And we must be willing to receive the truth when He speaks about our present condition.
Learn an attitude of worship. Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (NIV).
When we are frustrated, it almost always starts with a bad attitude. We learn to confess our bad attitude quickly and ask for gratitude (a form of spiritual worship) to be restored. When we have a bad attitude our disposition changes toward someone and we become cold, indifferent and callous. We stop caring. Hope restores a proper attitude that with the Lord’s will make a way for us. We are not stuck. This is not our fate but it’s only temporary. We are truly moving from glory to glory. How we respond well or poorly will have long lasting effects
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