For When You Are Frustrated

I posted this on my Facebook wall some time ago:

There are times that I read Scripture with a specific thought on my heart that pulls out more questions of what’s REALLY going on in my heart. 

If that happens to you, write it down! You probably won’t have immediate answers but the questions could take you deeper! It’s at those times that your spirit is working things out!

I want to expand on that in this post.

My husband and I are desiring to purchase a home in a new area. We were waiting on one person to do something that was taking weeks for him to do. It only required 5 minutes of his time.

I allowed this waiting time to build frustration and bitterness in my heart.

I was listening to preaching messages that I felt would help me increase my faith for believing in this area when I heard the Holy Spirit whisper to me. He reminded me of His Word, that if I have bitterness in my heart toward someone, I’m not walking in love. If I’m not walking in love, then everything else that I’m standing on won’t hold up.

Backing up was necessary. I had to go back to the root of it all in order to move ahead.

The Scripture that I was lead to was Romans 12:10:

Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.

Here I was seething over how that person’s world didn’t revolve around me! Truly, isn’t that the way we are sometimes? I wanted what I wanted, and I wanted it NOW.

The questions that came were:

• Am I taking that person’s life into consideration? He has a family, too!
• Am I fully trusting that God’s timing just might be different than mine?
• Is it really that serious that I must be frustrated?

I have no control over what one man does and I should go about my day as if I have other things to do (because I really did!)

I wrote those questions down and looked over them until my spirit was at peace. I still desired for my wants to be met, but determined that I’d let God meet them and not try to make things happen myself.

When I shifted my focus from myself to God and meeting my family’s needs, I could see more clearly that I had peace and joy. Peace in knowing that I don’t need to worry or be frustrated, and joy in the prospect of God’s best in this.

Whenever that feeling of frustration starts to creep in, turn it around. Ask yourself questions that will help you examine your heart toward it.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put one love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Colossians 3:12-16 (NKJV)