What to Do When Frustrated – Part One

Luke 21: 25 – 28

Do you ever get frustrated? Sure we do. Did you notice the “we?” All of us do. We seem to be living in the time Jesus spoke of when He said, there would be “distress among nations, with perplexity…” and of “men’s hearts failing them.”

This summarily speaks of a time of great frustration. Perhaps you personally are facing a time of frustration. Certainly, it appears a broad segment of our nation is experiencing an epidemic of frustration. You know frustration.

Frustration is an emotion fathered by anger. It causes our blood pressure to rise, our breathing to accelerate, the pitch and volume of our voice to heighten.

Frustration results from us reacting against seemingly impossible circumstances.

One country comic said, “It makes me so mad I could eat a goatburger!” That’s frustration.

You have seen it, or perhaps you have been the one seen, whose plans are frustrated and you go ballistic.

Youth experience it when they get all “jacked up” and life kicks out the jack, causing a big letdown.

Frustration is a Moses coming to a much-needed spring of water and finding it dry, starts beating on the rock with his rod.

It is John who gets fed up with the opposition and asks Jesus to call down fire from heaven on them.

Do you ever feel as frustrated as the fellow who bought a new boomerang and had trouble throwing the old one away?

At times you can feel it building. Resources aren’t available or have run out, time to act is elapsing, people to help have abandoned and the pressure rises until finally “melt-down.”

It is you senselessly honking your horn in a traffic jam.

It is our response to a comedy of confusing circumstances that keep us from being punctual at an appointment.

It’s kicking carpet when things just won’t go right.

It’s our reaction to the toaster which burns our toast and smokes up the house when we are in a hurry to get going.

Having identified frustration two Posts will follow listing do’s and don’ts regarding it.