I have been very frustrated lately. Frustrated with a particular situation in my life that does not appear to be changing, frustrated at work, frustrated with my family, just downright frustrated! Have you ever felt this way? Today, I would like us to look at what we can learn from this feeling and how to move passed it.
If you follow David’s journey from 1st and 2nd Samuel of the Old Testament, you know he felt frustration too. This was a “man after God’s own heart,” yet he often felt overwhelmed, abandoned and defeated. There is a lot we can learn from David when it comes to our feelings. In fact, many of the Psalms were written by him during his hardest times.
Let’s look at Psalm 13;
“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?”
David is pleading with God. This is actually before David became king. King Saul was chasing him down and planning to kill him. As this chase lingered on, David was frustrated, scared and felt as if God had left him.
What to do with feelings of frustration?
But, what did David do? He turned to God with all these feelings. He laid them out before God. Do you know why? Because God can handle it. God can handle all our feelings.
Let’s look at the middle of Psalm 13:3-4;
“Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.”
David asks God for what he needs. And so can we!
Don’t be afraid to ask God for what you need.
Look what David does at the end of this Psalm,
“But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.”
David reaffirms his trust in God. Then, he begins praising God in his heart, which leads to singing. Why? Because when we praise God, the atmosphere changes, our perspective changes, and often we remember the things God has done us.
This is our formula for what to do when we are frustrated.
- Give it to God. Tell God exactly how you are feeling.
- Ask God for what you need. If you don’t know what you need, ask God to show you.
- Reaffirm your trust in God, by saying something as simple as, “God, I trust you in this situation.”
- Praise Him and remember what God has done for you.
Reaffirm your trust in God!
There are times in our lives when we are going to find ourselves frustrated. Being frustrated is not necessarily a bad thing. It can give you the opportunity to lean into God, which can move you to a new place.
So the next time you are frustrated…
Pause long enough to acknowledge the frustration. Then, take a moment and ask God to show you why you are so frustrated. Have the courage to give it to God and let God work it out for you.
I hope you know, when I write these blogs, it is typically because I’m dealing with this very issue in my own life. If you remember, last week I wrote about being content because I was feeling very little contentment. These blogs are a reminder to me of what to do when I find myself in certain situations. I hope they are a reminder to you too. The biggest reminder for me is God is good and we can trust Him in all things!
Let us pray;
God of all that is, help me with my frustration. Help me to trust you enough in this situation. I praise You for always being with me, for never leaving me. Thank You for all You have done for me in the past. I am confident that You will do it again! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
P.S. check out this YouTube and use it as your prayer and praise. If you can’t see it, open this message in your browser. Leave me a comment and let me know how God is working in your life. Forward this message to a friend that might need some encouragement today. Post this on Facebook and tag me in. Let’s show the world that we serve a mighty God. Until next time, -M
