Frustration

Frustrating things humble a man or woman’s soul. They do things in two categories: (1) take away something that was there prior, narrow resources, block or limit the number, etc. (2) open up, redirect, or painfully bring into view what is left, in its raw and pure form, heightening the need for creativity of a distinctly unique breed of living result. What do I mean?

I’m squeezed by events, illness, wrong decisions, people and their decisions, money matters, or even jail. Why? Wrong question! If you can figure out “why,” you have rationally charted your future in the image of your carefully derived and wise findings. In other words you may have allowed the frustrating limits to also inhibit your ability in going forward. I would like to ask you a question: are you sure about “why”?
 
Why do I ask? Because it is better, maybe, if we don’t know “why,” or, if we do know “why,” maybe we should submit our finding out “why” to the overruling purpose of God’s intention. See, if we have not formulated a “why,” then; the mental, physical, and social tools which are left us, become easily available to us, with no home-made restrictions, born of private evaluation, negatively determining our course. Sorry, but the hyper-intelligent evaluation, with all of its exulting triumph of wisdom attached, becomes the prison bars of our future options.
 
Let’s illustrate. Maybe a person takes on a severe bodily injury and they can’t do things they could before. In their mind they may think “it is the will of God.” “He allowed it, and now I cannot serve Him as I did. I will have to give up my ministry.”
 
In another case, a gentleman loses his spouse of many years through divorce and lives in the continual question of a frustrating “I can’t figure out why.” Another person tries and tries to build a business, but after many years, sees only failure. He finally throws in the towel and exclaims, “I guess I am not cut out for building businesses.”
 
These determinations, maybe very painfully real, in each case above, leave out something significant —the sovereign plan of God. See, God involves himself with making people into specialists. We may be thinking, “I guess I’ll just try to make the best of things now.” However, God quietly wants the frustrated one to see possibility’s new wave that could never have been made available had the limiting event not happened.
 
Let’s use another: God has a plan for a man to discover his gift of teaching. This man is much occupied with making a lot of money building houses and has no interest in anything else. For whatever reason, something happens to end the construction thing. Frustrated, he can quit everything, or try to go forward with what he has left. Perhaps opportunities to teach arise or become the focus of a regrouped life attempt.
 
Bluntly, these frustrating hinderers often wound us severely. I understand, and I have had several. It sometimes may require of us a very determined prayer going forward. It may mandate a very deep and quiet soul-searching and seeking. It may open up a wrestling match with God and life.
 
God never quits on his redeemed one, “to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not,” it says in Lamentations 3. The plan of God conforms us to the very image of Christ. I must decrease and He must increase. Folks, we are being summoned to a deeper life. We are being asked to go forward in weakness, in a way of trusting and not leaning on our own understanding.
 
In some cases the future opportunities may hide themselves. We may have to explore the future and go forth in a determination. We may have to study or try something new or develop something further which we have developed only to a degree before. We may need to diversify now and split interests or spread out.
 
Take heart my Christian brothers and sisters, because as the options decrease, rest assured, He will make Himself more real to us then He ever has. He draws neigh to them of a broken heart, to restore, renew, and show Himself strong on their behalf. 

When we learn the deep lesson, we get more lessons. The learned ability to forget and move on frequents its occasions and heightens its responsibility. We find ourselves using our newly-learned skill monthly, then weekly, then daily, then moment by moment. 

Finally, Proverbs teaches us “he that is of a faithful spirit conceals the matter.” Did you ever row? As you do you are in a continuum of moving forward while watching your things-behind, get further and further behind till they are out of sight. Poor illustration, because driving in a car on a long trip better paints it. We are concealing stuff behind as we look and go forward. Better yet, riding the elevator to the top floor, we can’t see where we came from and by hope we expect to arrive somewhere. This allows us to enjoy the fellowship of the person in the elevator. In our case, this person is the very presence of Our God, revealed to us in His Son and Spirit. Thank You Lord!