Weekly Article (Week 2)
Message:
The emerging theme for these articles seems to be a series on the things that all Christians face as they walk in this world. Last week I talked a little about temptation that affects all Christians. This week I would like to address another universal subject, another subject that I have first hand experience with as a Christian. From my studies this also goes all the way back to the Old Testament. Today’s topic is frustration.
Topic: Frustration with a dash of Hope
The ideal Christian would be so enveloped in the gifts of the Holy Spirit that they would never know frustration. Between all the Peace, Hope, Joy, and Love how can you know frustration? You wouldn’t. Unfortunately, most of us have not reached that level of maturity in our walks with Christ.
Frustration comes in many forms and from many sources. It can be something simple as someone squeezing the toothpaste from the side instead of from the bottom to watching someone destroy their lives through addiction while you can do nothing but pray. Everyone feels frustration…yet, some Christians (me included) feel frustrations in our spiritual lives. Prayers that seem to go unanswered, addictions that can’t be broken, or a tongue that refuses to be tamed can lead a Christian to cry out to the Lord and ask “Why?!?”
The “why ask why” part is for another discussion, but the frustration is for now. I called this another universal topic because throughout the Word we find that the people God called also experienced such frustrations. The Psalms of David alone can tell you all you need about the frustration of a believer. The Hall of Faith in Hebrews list all the faithfulness of the Old Testament prophets, yet read of them and you will find the frustrations each faced.
I will use Elijah as my example for the topic. Look at 1 King 19:4 “But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said “it is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” Wow! He prayed that he might die. Have you hit that point yet in your frustration?
We all experience frustration, maybe even to the point of wishing the Lord would call us home sooner rather than later. A source of our frustration is impatience. We know the Word, we study it, meditate on it, listen to it, and believe it. So when we rely on it, or rather on God and His promises, we expect it to happen right away or the way we want it. However, God does not work like that and even though we know it, we expect Him to do so anyway.
These articles are not about how to fix these things in your life, I’m still learning myself. What they are for is to let you know that you are not the only believer experiencing these things in your life, you’re not alone, and that God provides answers in His Word.
Elijah prayed to die because of his frustration. Continue reading to the next verse and see how God responds to our frustrations. 1 King 19:5-9, you see that the Lord sent angels to minister to Elijah. So God does for us as well. He is there with us in our frustrations. And like all our tests and trials, He sees us through them. Keep that in mind as you feel your frustration level rising. God bless.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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