Questions...

Hey Glory!  It’s been a full day and now I am able to sit for a few minutes and respond to your questions from last night’s Comment Cafe Gathering.  I just have to say ‘thank you’ for not holding these questions to yourself, I was blessed today in the pondering of them and I believe that our sisters will be also!  So let’s get to it...

Question One: How do you deal with frustrations, when people are not listening, disobeying or when things go wrong?  I sometimes just need to share my frustrations out loud with someone and it makes me feel better.  What do you do?

Well, this question just tickled me, have you been reading my mail?  The truth is that every single day, as we live this thing out on the dusty roads of planet earth we are going to be encountering frustrations.  Whether these frustrations are ignited within us through the spark of the actions of others or through the spark of circumstances, the truth is that the frustrations that we are experiencing are actually an indication of what kind of kindling we are holding within our own hearts. I’ll get back to this in a minute.

You said that you sometimes just need to “share my frustrations out loud with someone and it makes me FEEL better.”  Sharing our frustrations out loud with Someone is always the best thing to do!  Just make sure you caught the Someone that you should always do the sharing with!  We have been given full entry into the very presence of God Himself, through the rent veil of the flesh of the Son of God, and He would have you take FULL ADVANTAGE!  You asked me what I do, and this is it.  

Over the years I’ve trampled down a well worn path to the Throne of Grace, knowing that it is here that I will find all that I need, in my time of need.  God fully expects, and we should joyfully give to Him, and not man, the first fruits of our griefs, frustrations, pains and fears.  He has told us that He desires truth in our innermost being and that in the hidden part He will make us know wisdom.  Its within these moments of first fruit giving that He will reveal to us the kindling that has been ignited and become frustration within our hearts and will minister to us the truth that will heal us and set us free.

OK, so here is something else that I do... I did a quick check on the word ‘frustrate, frustrated, frustrates’ as found in Scripture and found something quite interesting.  While we may become frustrated by circumstances or the actions of man, God clearly let’s us know that He Himself has been known to be the spark that has ignited the fire of frustration within many a heart!  And here’s something else... the 7 times that this particular word is used within Scripture is contained within the Old Testament.  Each of the Hebrew renderings sheds further light on just what being frustrated really means... narrow, scant, cramped, hinder, restrain, discourage, to bind, tie up, to be restricted.  Yes, I am a bit of a keener, I get the Biblical definition of what I am experiencing within my own heart and then I take my findings back to Him, back to His Word.  I found myself today in full out thanksgiving before God, thanking Him that it is no longer in my spiritual DNA to live in frustration, when He Himself has set my feet in a spacious place.  He may have positioned me for such a time as this... to experience frustration, that I might in turn offer it up as a first fruits (so to speak) and in turn experience the joy of a pure heart and right spirit, of healing and freedom!  I now have the joy of throwing off those things that hinder, bind, restrict and tie me up.   Keeping my eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith, I get to run this race, full out!  I GET TO!  It’s not that we HAVE TO... it’s that WE GET TO!  

Once we’ve taken our first fruits of frustration (or whatever it is) to God, then we will be better equipped to share our experience with others.  Not minimizing our sharing to just the frustration and FEELING a momentary relief of venting (until the next time).  But actually sharing the frustration along with the victory of the healing.  Pointing others to The Hope and not just the frustration.

By the way, quite often, God will reveal the very fuel that got hit by the spark and ignited the frustration within us.  Be it pride, bitterness, resentment, anger, self-esteem.... whatever it is, confess it and give it to Him.  One thing I know for absolute certainty, frustration entertained for any length of time can quickly turn into flat out, full out sin. 

Question Two: I also have a problem with retraining what I have just learned. I tend to move to the next thing right away and forget what I have just learned. Do you have any suggestions or verses to help me with this problem?

I think you have answered your own question here!  It’s in your statement of, “I tend to move to the next thing right away and forget what I have just learned.”  The only suggestion that I can give you is what I find myself doing and that is NOT moving on to the next thing!  Meditate, think about, sing about, write about, talk about, apply, dig deeper into the thing that you have just learned.  My favourite thing to do is to have a discussion with the LORD about it.  Turning it into a matter of praise, worship, thanksgiving or just even a series of questions and queries that I know He will answer in His own time... then watching expectedly throughout the day, or days, to see what He would reveal to me!

OK, I’m done!  Don’t have time to proof this, so just extend me a good helping of mercy!

Love you!