Frustration is a familiar feeling that all of us have. We get frustrated when our expectations are not met, or we feel uncertain or insecure. When the Israelites left slavery in Egypt, they expected that their life would be much better. However, they found themselves in the desert with a lack of food and water. Instead of trusting God through Moses' leadership, they showed frustration. They were frustrated about everything because their expectations were not met. Although God provided manna (bread from Heaven) for food and water to drink through rock, it wasn't enough for the Israelites to trust in the LORD. As a result, God judged them in the desert. In the same manner, we can quickly get frustrated when our expectations are not met. We get frustrated when we are stuck in traffic, standing in a long line at the grocery store, not having enough time to finish our task, trying to solve a problem and not finding a solution, dealing with a difficult person, etc.
We have to deal with our frustration and not let it run its course because our frustration can lead us to anger, negative thinking, stress, irritability, or even depression. It affects our relationship with others and God. We have to find the root cause of our frustration. For the Israelites, the root cause of their frustration was not trusting God. If they could have chosen to trust and rest in God, they wouldn't be frustrated. For us, we may have many root causes of our frustration: not enough sleep, hungry, tiredness, unattainable goal, not enough exercise, not trusting God, etc. The main thing that we need to do is recognize that we are frustrated and deal with it immediately. We may need to take time to take a deep breath (relax), go for a short walk, and pray to God to help us overcome our frustration.
We need to remind ourselves that we are now a new person in Christ Jesus. We are no longer controlled by our flesh but by the Holy Spirit who lives in us. We can choose to give in to the Holy Spirit or our flesh. If we want to have joy and peace, let us give in to the Holy Spirit and deal with our frustration pleasingly to God. Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Norman Vincent Peale quoted, "The antidote to frustration is a calm faith, not in your own cleverness or hard work, but in God's guidance."
Ask yourself these questions: Do I get frustrated quickly? What should I do when I am frustrated? Who can help me overcome my frustration?
Write down all the worries that you are facing today and lift them up to God.
Prayer:
Father in Heaven, please forgive me when I allow my frustration to have the best of me. Please give me the power and strength to overcome it. My life is yours, and I want to please you in everything that I do. Please help me to trust you all throughout the day. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.