Divine Frustration: Navigating Life's Challenges with God and Coffee

Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16 CSB

            When was the last time you were really frustrated about something? Maybe your son forgot to turn in his homework, again. Could it be your husband didn’t put any grounds in the coffee pot so when you turned it on, you only got hot water? Was it the traffic on the way to work that caused you to be 30 minutes late. Or is it something bigger? Escrow on the house you were buying fell through, you didn’t get a job interview for the fifth time, or the small business you work for didn’t have enough money to pay you again this week. These obstacles, and many more, can often leave us quite aggravated and possibly stressed for long periods of time.

            Luckily, as Christians we have an ability to overcome frustration that unbelievers don’t have. This is important to note because continued levels of frustration can be very detrimental to your everyday life. They can interfere with your relationships, cause you to be sick, and produce unhappiness in your job or family life. The good news is we are able to move forward and out of these situations because we serve a remarkable God. Hebrews 4:16 helps us see this by telling us, “Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need. (CSB) When we hit these annoying frustration levels, the Holy Spirit will call us to come confidently before God to receive this mercy and grace through Jesus Christ.

            This is where the King of Kings enters with His exceedingly, superabundantly, and beyond, grace, to save us. (Ephesians 3:20 CSB) After being diagnosed with cancer for the second time, you better believe I became frustrated. As I stayed in the Word through this round, I found the Greek word “dunamai”. This verb means “to be able to”, and “to have the power to”. It is the root word of our English “dynamic”, “dynamo”, and “dynasty”. These are big, powerful words that are used in whopping descriptions of extensive happenings. This is a power our imaginations cannot conceive, but it is the power of our God. It is what He uses to be in control of our vexing aggravations. And you can bet I got it tattooed on my arm for all to see! Why? Because the world needed to see and ask me about the word so I could spread the greatness of a God who saves us from all the struggles we can experience.

            Our God is sovereign over everything. Isaiah 14:27 says, “For the Lord of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?” (NASB) This is a clear statement asserting God’s sovereignty over everything—including your exasperating situations. This doesn’t mean the situation we are facing will change, but during this suffering, God can change our response to it, replacing our annoyance with His peace and joy. One of His goals for our times of frustration is to reveal to us how loving, kind, gentle, and faithful He is. But we may need to make some changes to fully receive the contentment He provides. According to Luke 5:1-11, when God pursues the frustrated, four things occur… He shows you: How great is his power, how great is your need of His pardon, how crucial it is to adopt His purpose, and how vital it is to value Him above all else. Knowing this we can move forward in these frustrations by:

1.     Letting ourselves feel the emotions. Cry if you need to. Jesus felt emotions. God has blessed us with tear glands so let’s use them.

2.     Don’t get stuck feeling all the emotions. Speak your feelings out loud to someone you trust. Saying the words aloud may provide a release of emotions.

3.     Ask God to align us with His will and humility to stop thinking we know the perfect path.

4.     Remember God does miracles and works for the good of those who love Him and have been called by Him.

5.     Ask for prayer. Prayer is our strongest weapon and when we have people praying for us, God hears each and every one.

God does care about our frustrations. He is not disappointed or frustrated by your struggles, doubts or pain. He cares about you, and you can trust Him with those things. When you trust, you go to God and His Word when life is hard. You also act on obedience (doing what God says in His Word) and trust that He will ultimately take care of the rest. Knowing He feels this way we have to be careful not to lash out at Him or run away and ignore Him when we are hurting. This will only lead you into a more frustrated experience. It is important also, to not get frustrated by unreasonable expectations or caring about what others think more than you care about what God thinks.

God is in control. I know, I know, this can cause frustration in itself because we want to be in control of it all. But truly, frustration comes from the enemy, not from a place of peace in Christ. Let God be in control. Tell the enemy to leave and let God take the wheel. Pray for peace and remain in it as He works out His superabundant plan that is “way past” the “way past” we can't even imagine.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for Your superabundant, exceedingly good plan You have for my life. Thank You for scripture that helps me to remember the peace I can find in you. Help me to turn to You first, during frustrating times and to look for you for the way out, rather than looking to the world.

Today’s Challenge:

Look at the areas of your life where you are feeling frustrated right now. Have you taken steps to let God be in control? Find a safe friend to share your frustrations with. Yell at the enemy and demand he leave your thoughts.