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Then discover how to think, speak and act like God during the midst of your frustrations. If maturity is the ability to think, speak and act on your feelings within the bounds of dignity, then the measure of maturity is how spiritual you become during the midst of your frustrations. So said 19th century American poet, soldier, civic leader and businessman Samuel Ullman, and it’s a saying worthy of reflection.
How spiritual do you become during the midst of your frustrations? Are you spiritually-minded when you get stuck in a mile-long traffic jam on your way to that much-anticipated concert you bought tickets for three months ago? Or do you begin to think, speak and act out of impatience as you imagine missing your favorite song? Do you keep your sights set on the things of the Spirit when the slacker in the cubicle next to you gets the promotion you’ve been working overtime to win? Or do you think about the injustice, speak about the inabilities of your fellow employee, and act unbecomingly? What about when sickness or disease knocks on your door? Do you get frustrated?
The very definition of frustration perfectly describes the feelings this spirit brings with it: a deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfilled needs. That an accurate summation in itself, but there is also a deeper meaning: to balk or defeat in an endeavor; to induce feelings of discouragement in. If that weren’t enough, to frustrate also means to make ineffectual and to bring to nothing. Sounds like the devil’s plan to me.
Whether it’s a minor nuisance or a major aggravation, we’ve all experienced the opportunity to walk in the Spirit when our soul is screaming in frustration. We are all familiar with the temptation to allow our flesh to fully manifest our feelings of discontentment. But consider for a moment that frustration is a destructive emotion that wastes precious time that could otherwise be used in constructive or creative work.
The overarching purpose of frustration is not to give you a stress headache or get you to bark at your family. The overarching purpose of frustration is to waste your time and energy, to hinder you from fulfilling your destiny as an apostolic believer; to prevent you from building the Church of Jesus Christ and establishing the Kingdom of God. The devil knows that if he can discourage you and make your efforts appear (note the word “appear”) ineffective, then he can entice you to give up.
Consider the days of Ezra, when the Israelites purposed to fulfill the prophetic word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah. The Bible says that the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites – everyone whose heart God had moved – went up to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. After some months of work, the foundation was laid and the people rejoiced. Suddenly, opposition came.
The Israelites’ enemies proposed to help them rebuild the temple, but wise old Zerubbabel saw their intentions and refused the offer. That’s when the evil motives of the Samaritans manifested. “Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They hired counselors to work against them and frustrate their plans…” (Ezra 4:4 NIV) These religious spirits launched accusations against the Israelites. The work eventually came to a screeching halt by order of a king.
Few things hinder the grace of God more than frustration. Frustration is not faith. The Apostle Paul understood this. In his letter to the Galatians, he explained, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God…” (Galatians 2:21-22)
Consider what happened to Moses when his frustration with the Israelites got the best of him. He rebelled against God and struck the rock twice. The consequence was severe. God forbid him to enter the Promised Land. Could it be possible that faithless acts motivated by your own frustration can keep you from God’s best for your life?
It’s sort of ironic, if you think about it. Frustration is a deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfilled needs, but frustration is what keeps you from accessing the grace that brings a sense of security and satisfaction arising from resolved problems and fulfilled needs. Selah.
The Bible is full of promises that fulfill our needs. If His grace was sufficient for the Apostle Paul to endure the satanic messenger that was harassing him, then it’s sufficient for us to deal with the satanic messengers that harass us. But here’s the key: we need to ask for the grace. When frustration floods our emotions like a tsunami, we need to draw upon the fruit of self-control, grab hold of our raging souls, and pray.
Paul exhorted the Philippians to be “anxious” for nothing, but we could very well say be “frustrated” for nothing. Instead of wasting time and energy being agitated by circumstances, we are supposed to offer up prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, and make our definite requests known to God. Then God’s peace shall be ours and it will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). That should allow us to pass Ullman’s test of thinking, acting and speaking in the Spirit even in the midst of frustration.
Jesus told His disciples not to let their hearts be troubled, distressed or agitated (John 14:1). That means we have a choice about whether we think, act and speak in the power of the Spirit and receive grace, or in the frustration of the flesh and receive high blood pressure, migraines and ulcers. So I set this day before you grace or frustration. Choose grace.
Jennifer LeClaire is the editor of The Voice magazine and author of "Doubtless: Faith that Overcomes the World." You can visit her online at www.jenniferleclaire.org.
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