What Are the Demands of Frustration?

Frustration can become so constant that you fail to realize the impact it has on you emotionally and physically. We’re destined to experience conflict stemming from other people’s attitudes and behaviors. When too much frustration is layered into our consciousness, overreacting appears unconstrained.

One way to manage negative thoughts and feelings is to change your mindset. This includes believing God is present with you, although it may not immediately seem obvious. Know that you are doing your best and God will do for you what you cannot do for yourself when the time is right.

Dealing constructively with frustration demands learning how to flow with other people’s patterns of life. This means believing you are under the umbrella of God’s protection and he will help you understand what to do differently. Take a moment now to reflect and pray. 

Sensing God’s presence will calm your emotions and give you confidence. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace and patience.                

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Be patient and wait for the Lord to act; don’t be worried about those who prosper or those who succeed in their evil plans. Don’t give in to worry or anger; it only leads to trouble. Those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.

~Psalm 37:7-9 Good News Bible

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What Are the Long-term Effects of Submitting to Anger?

Submitting to anger can generate damaging consequences for the one possessing it as well as the one to whom it is directed. I recently witnessed a man intent on changing lanes in heavy freeway traffic. The driver next to him refused to yield, resulting in the impatient one yelling obscenities punctuated by threatening gestures. 

Why submit to anger, which in this case instantly evolved into rage? Would the images imprinted in these people’s minds and emotions remain there indefinitely? Adrenaline that flooded the bloodstream of both drivers would make it impossible to forget the madness of what occurred.

What other options were available? 

Simply exhibiting patience gives compassion, even empathy, a chance to subdue frustration and anger. Patience creates empathy, which in turn prevents anger and rage from gaining control. Remember, patience is a gift of the Holy Spirit that God provides to those who earnestly seek it. 

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Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.  

~Ephesians 4:2-3 New Living Translation

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Goodness and Forgiveness: Lost Virtues?

Aristotle named four virtues that promote goodness: courage, justice, self-control, and wisdom. To these four add forgiveness. Have goodness and forgiveness lost their place in our society? A virtue should reflect goodness, integrity, righteousness and honesty. Galatians 5:22 ranked goodness as a Fruit of the Holy Spirit.

We've heard of people being characterized as having a good heart. The attribute of goodness is intimately connected to a person who also practices forgiveness. This person refuses to hold on to a grudge or keep a lists of wrongs that have been endured. Whoever possesses goodness will consequently practice forgiveness.

Goodness as an attribute of personality will balance what matters for the moment with what matters for the future. The virtues of goodness and forgiveness are given importance by remembering it is by God’s goodness and mercy and the righteousness of Christ Jesus that we have purpose and significance for living this life.  

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Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me perfectly good? No one is perfectly good but God himself.”

~Luke 18:19 Williams – New Testament in the Language of the People

God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. That’s why he sent Christ to make us what we are.

~Ephesians 2:10 Contemporary English Version

Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong.
~1 Corinthians 13:5 The Living Bible

The Power of Letting Go

A young woman told how her former boyfriend threatened to harm her and himself if she did not comply with his wish to continue the relationship. He felt out of control, disconnected and desperate. Unfortunately, threatening behaviors build a bridge to dismantling trust, respect, and confidence.

It’s important to accept that total control over another person is impossible. Attempts to control others are built on a foundation of fear and ultimately build a bridge to desperation. God did not create robots to be ruled over by a dictator. He intended for self-control and freedom to expand as maturity and good judgement evolve.

 

What’s involved in letting go of unhealthy, unnecessary control? It requires trust and confidence in others and the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ in you produces love, joy, peace and self-control while reducing fear, anxiety and worry. These virtues of the Holy Spirit build a bridge to security which diminishes the need for unhealthy control. 

Integrity Guards Self-Respect - Part 3

Endurance tells us to stand firm when we feel like retreating.  Endurance encourages us to remain mentally and emotionally tough when we feel weak and tired. Endurance gives determination to be spiritually committed, for then we can be assured that God’s purpose will prevail. Faith and trust enable us to withstand every evil deterrent Satan hurls at us.

As endurance stands firm, self-respect and self-esteem become more entrenched. A reality some believers find unacceptable concerns suffering and having difficult days. So many question the reason God permits struggles and strife to invade their lives, forgetting that Christ Jesus gave up his life for them.

It’s not that we should look for suffering because suffering pursues everyone. The apostle Paul encourages us to endure suffering with patience, for when God gives us a reprieve, we are blessed with confidence. Endurance builds tolerance by knowing joy comes in the morning after a dark night of suffering. For that joy we offer heartfelt thanks to God.  

Overcome Obstructions: Submit to God - Part 1

Relationships thrive where peace is present. Peace is listed after love and joy in Galatians 5:22 as a fruit of the Spirit. Jesus said he would give peace to those who put their faith and trust in him. The peace he promised is not a fragile peace like the world gives, but the peace of God identified as a fruit of the Spirit that gives believers confidence.

Satan creates obstructions to negate God’s peace and must be confronted with the armor Jesus makes available to Christians to protect them from attempts to negate the peace Jesus provides. Blaming others for our shortcomings and failures is an obstruction we choose when we, by our own volition, submit to temptation.

While there are many obstructions, God provides ways to overcome every hurdle and stumbling block. When we stand ready to be accountable for our failures by seeking forgiveness, God restores the peace he promised. “When you seek God with all your heart, He will be found.”  This is an affirmation that secures peace for the weary soul.  

The Power of Patience: Taming the Temper - Part 1

During holidays and other special family gatherings, a quick temper can devastate the joyful spirit of family unity. Individuals and relationships suffer when tempers flare out of control. Lack of respect and trust diminishes for those who are quick to anger, and their attendance becomes undesirable. Personal safety may also become an issue.

A quick tempered person usually possesses a fragile ego-strength or ego-boundaries. A quick temper reflects a fear of loss of control over a situation, over another person, or within oneself. A quick temper is an effort to hide low self-esteem. A quick tempered person never acquires the control, love, or respect he or she desires.

Listen to Proverbs 15:18. "A hot tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel." You can control your temper by permitting God to empower you with patience. This is possible when you receive this gift, a fruit of the Spirit. The power of patience makes you acceptable and lovable. With God, all things are possible.