Have you ever tried to hide your frustration over a particular matter,
only to fail miserably? I have! There are many situations in life that
arise, which disappoint or nullify our will or purpose. Let's look at
how the Bible teaches us to properly handle frustration...
Exodus 1:22-2:3
And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye
shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive. And
there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of
Levi. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that
he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could not
longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with
slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the
flags by the river's brink.
In the midst of frustration, we must hold the position of trusting in
the Lord. Moses' mother knew how wrong it would be to destroy her precious
son. But there was little she could do to change Pharaoh's new law. Her
only alternative was to hide the growing, crying child - a task that certainly
became quite stressful as time went on! As a concerned mother, no doubt
she felt overwhelmed by evil as well as frustrated by how little she could
do about it. Ladies, this mother was faced with a choice to react to her
dilemma in anger or react in love. Rather than hide them, she put her
private and very precious concerns in a basket, a little ark of safety,
and gave the whole matter to God! Hence, the Lord used her courageous
act of trust to place Moses, the Hebrew of HIS choice, in the
house of Pharaoh where his life was preserved and filled with heavenly
purpose. Her motherly concerns were safe when left with God. The Lord
safely guided a frustrating situation to a peaceful shore...
Job 10:13-14
And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with
thee. If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from
mine iniquity.
In the midst of frustration, we must also avoid making important decisions.
At the peak of frustration over his personal circumstances, Job jumped
to the false conclusion that God was out to get him. He did not understand
what God was doing… Wrong assumptions lead to wrong conclusions that,
in turn, lead to wrong decisions. Ladies, we dare not take our limited
understanding and react hastily! If you find yourself doubting God, remember
that you don't have all the specifics. When you're wrestling with things
at hand, the inward temptation is to assume the worst. We must trust the
Lord wants only the very best for our lives! Many people endure great
suffering, as did Job, but ultimately they find some greater good came
from it.
Ephes. 6:4
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up
in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Here's a different angle on frustration... What we gather from this portion
of scripture is that we should not be the cause of frustration in others!
Parenting is not an easy task, amen? It takes lots of patience to raise
children in a loving, Christ-honoring manner and they need constant supervision!
Nevertheless, frustration and anger should not be causes for discipline.
Instead, parents should act in love, treating their children as Christ
treats the people He loves. This is vital to children's development and
to their understanding of what God is like. The purpose of parental discipline
is to help children grow and do right, not to exasperate and provoke them
to anger or discouragement. To provoke to wrath suggests a repeated, ongoing
pattern of treatment that gradually builds into frustration and boils
over in outward hostility. Mom, is there a chance you might be frustrating
your child by chastening them in the wrong spirit? Are you disciplining
out of revenge or out of a desire to nurture your child's character according
to the scriptures? Yes, it is our parental duty to educate youngsters
in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, teaching them what God requires
of them. Keep in mind what He requires of YOU, dear parent! Consider whether
you might be frustrating the Lord by NOT disciplining your children or
taking correct Biblical action in certain situations. If left to themselves,
they will be rebels…
Isaiah 1:4
Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children
that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the
Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
In closing, whenever frustration is not properly handled, it can result
in a bad situation - whether it leaves us in wrong standing with other
people, with God, or even results in health problems for ourselves. Ladies,
your private and personal concerns must be channeled in the right direction
- heavenward! Whenever you feel weakened by the stress and pressure of
life's problems, the best remedy is to focus on the faithfulness of God
and look to Him for guidance. The more we love the Lord, the less our
hassles will draw us away... If you're going to hide your frustrations
anywhere, hide them in Him!
Psalm 119:114
Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2002 Pamela A. Iannello
