A major factor in overcoming frustration is making a very simple decision to to believe that He is God and I am not! If you don’t get that one right, plan on being frustrated for the rest of your life. That belief influences the way we approach life and interact with other people. If we believe we’re the master of our destiny, everything we try to control will actually control us. Control issues are crafty. Just when you think you have a “handle on things,” things change. You can plan for the future; but it is not in your power to determine its outcome. That’s God’s department. The moment something impedes your agenda, frustration will pounce. That is what happens when you insist on having it your way. If you view people as pawns in your world, you will soon discover you are not the King. For some, it will appear as if people are plotting against you. You don’t believe that? Have you ever run late and tried to hurry to your destination? If you drove, did you feel like you were ambushed by slow drivers who could care less if you were running behind? Did any of them pull out in front of you? More than likely, you were sure it was on purpose. People never seem to be in a hurry when you are.
Overcoming frustration requires being intentional with love. 1 Corinthians 13:4 Charity (Love) suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself (does not brag), is not puffed up. The first thing listed about love in this verse is that it is patient and right after that, it is kind. Is it love when we are impatient with others? When we are tempted to be frustrated with others, we do not have the right to treat them unkind. Yielding to the Holy Spirit is the key to love, patience and kindness. Because we love God, we submit to Him. In this His nature may flow through us. Instead of focusing on not being impatient; focus on love, and patience will follow. God is love, and we are supposed to be like Him. If we love God, we will love people well.
If we have an agenda, we tend to filter life through it. Our view of other people can be greatly influenced by it. If we’re not careful, we can become selective about whom we love. Basically, we can get trapped into using people. It is not love when we are affectionate toward others, because they agree with our agenda and respond the way we like. If we are going to be patient with people, we have to put a premium on them; not our agenda. Not everyone is going to see things the way we do. In fact, a good many will not. Individuals have different experiences and upbringing than ours. You cannot expect them to view life like you; much less, be fully on board with your agenda. You cannot assume to know what they think, and why they behave as they do. Only God knows those thing. O yea, He is God and we are not.
With love comes compassion, and with compassion comes patience. Humans act out, misbehave, and can be quite contrary. You’re human, so there’s a good chance you’re guilty of this as well. We all are. It is true sinners sin, because that’s their nature. Aside from that, people also think, react, believe, and respond differently for a number of reasons. This is where compassion comes into play. For example, Fred is an extremely angry person who never has a good thing to say. On the surface, “he’s just a jerk.” Underneath, he carries deep wounds from a painful past. The anger is a symptom of something much deeper. Love sees past the cantankerous nature, and compassion seeks Fred’s healing. Rejection only exacerbates the issue. If one were to allow frustration with Fred to rule the day, one would not reach out to him. Did God reach out to you because of love? You know He did. Was He patient with you, even when you behaved badly? 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 And all things are of God, Who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Asking God for understanding and wisdom does work wonders. Knowing why things aren’t going well and how to respond, goes a long way. Understanding someone else’s plight can take us to a new level of patience and compassion. Knowing how to interact with him or her can be life changing. Going about doing our Father’s business focuses us on the right agenda. A proper perspective leads to a proper attitude. As we have learned, not everything is as it appears.
