FRUSTRATION: BAD OR GOOD?

Isaiah 14:27

Proverbs 18:21

Things can happen in your heart that can settle down your spirit when you are frustrated, and make your heart peaceful in the trying situation. One of God’s primary goals is to unveil the love He has for us and how reliable He is. When frustration leaves you there will be a peace and contentment you will not be able to describe. The greatest sense of contentment often comes during the greatest times of frustration.

Isaiah 14:27- God is sovereign. Who can push Him or knock Him out of the way?

If you see yourself as a victim, you will live in frustration all of your life.

Once you come to grips with who God is, truly is, and you begin to relate to Him things will change.

Frustration is a feeling that there is a barrier stopping you from accomplishing your goal or what is that you want to achieve. Frustration can be part of many different areas in your life. Frustration says there is something holding me back from the things I want to and I desire to do. At times we are aware of what is holding us back; but sometimes we have no idea what it is that is holding us back. Frustration results.

Frustration is NOT an external thing. In other words, that person, that thing, that situation, that circumstance can’t frustrate you unless you let it. Frustration has a root on the inside of you, not on the outside. Often you will look for someone or something you want to blame for why you feel frustrated. But frustration is not the result of external things; those are only what triggers the frustration inside of us.

There are three causes of frustration:

1. Inability as a person to accept the way God created you.

For example, no matter what you do in life, you find yourself still dissatisfied with your talents, the things you have, and even your lot in life. One of the biggest reasons you have frustration is because you don’t believe Proverbs 18:21 – death and life are in the power of the tongue!!

What is prophecy? A spoken word that has not yet come to pass. Prov 18:21 is prophecy over you.

One reason you are frustrated is because of what you are saying.

When you talk, it comes to one or two things –either you are exalting God, or you are exalting satan.

Sin sits outside the door—sin is crouched outside your door. Who is sin? satan. He is crouched outside your door. But Jesus is knocking at your door. So what you say will either let Jesus in or satan in.

For instance, you may say words like “nothing good ever happens to me”— these words are an invitation to satan to come on in.  Or you may say, “I can never get a break” – come on in satan.

OR you can choose to say these words:

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” – come on in Jesus!

“I am the head and not the tail” – come on in Jesus!

If you say stupid things you are going to have stupid things happen to you.

Listen to what people are saying to you and what you are saying to people and determine who are you exalting?

When you speak, God acts. When you speak, satan acts.

God never intended us to live with the resulting frustration. Instead, He calls us His masterpiece.

2. Reluctancy to deal with something in your past.

This is the second source of frustration. Some people ignore or deny things in the past and refuse to face them. Or they will blame someone else for what has happened.

3. Refusing to deal with what we know is not the will or God for our life at the present time.

 This is the third source of frustration. There are many people who live in a state of frustration because they won’t deal with the present day attitude in their life. You will never stop being frustrated until you deal with bitterness, resentfulness and hostility in your life. A bitter spirit towards someone will create frustration in you. You may always be defending yourself, trying to prove that others are wrong.

If you could change something, what would it be? What you wear? Where you live? Your finances? You may think or say, “If I can change these things then I’ll be happy.” No you won’t. Happiness is not the result of circumstances, but it a result of the condition of your heart.

There are people who have nothing who are happier than people who have everything.  There are people that few know, who are happier than than people known by everyone.

Happiness, peace, and joy come from what is in your heart.

HOW CAN FRUSTRATION BE EXCITING?

Isaiah 14:27 – Assyrians were coming to attack Israel, and soon were surrounding them. Israel was outmanned by andincredible number of Assyrians. Israel did have the military or fighting resources to defend themselves. The next morning there were thousands of dead Assyrians – God took care of it during the night.

Who can frustrate God’s plans? No one.

Some frustration is divinely sent:

God will use frustration to move us into His will. Why would God frustrate us? To bring us to deeper relationship with Him. Sometimes He brings frustration because we lost our focus, and He wants to bring us back into focus.

His purpose may be to deal with an area in our life we may not have thought of or dealt with before.  He is trying to get you to listen to Him, to give Him a chance to talk to you.

God wants to be in control of your life to the point where  you don’t look anywhere else. Sometimes the frustration turns into an excitement because you realize God is trying to change something in your life. But you can’t make Him tell you one second quicker than He intends to. But all of a sudden it will hit you. There’s a process of waiting, sifting, sanding, frustration, and even pity parties… all of this can be part of the process where God is trying to get your attention so you will focus on Him and listen to what He is saying to you.

It’s time to trust God, rely on Him and be dependent on Him.