Frustration
I was in heavy traffic this morning. I could see what would normally take 10 minutes to get from “Point A” to “Point B” taking at least 30 minutes. Not cool when you are on your way to work. I started to get frustrated that I was going to be running late. I decided to take another route rather than stop and start for 30 minutes or more. This route would normally not be the way I would go, but I figured I would rather be moving to get where I need to than deal with the alternative. The end result is that I got to work at least 15 minutes quicker than if I took the road everyone else was taking.
If I had been satisfied with being late, I may have still been sitting in that traffic rather than in my office. I turned the thought of what would have been a time of weeping and gnashing of teeth in traffic, to an opportunity to think outside of my normal route and try something different. You might say “Ok, it’s just traffic. Why the hoopla?”.
Many of the greatest innovations in technology and industry came from the premise of doing something faster and better. It took someone pulling their hair out, fed up, irritated, frustrated, and annoyed enough to do something about something to change things.
Frustration is the fuel for innovation. Noone who is comfortable will look to change anything. Why should they? It’s not till you are uncomfortable, till you are tossing and turning, till you are hurting so bad, till you can’t sit still that you will be prompted to anything. At least this is the case for most people.
On a spiritual note, frustration can move us closer in our relationship toward God or further away. It depends on us. God uses frustration to move us to new levels of our realtionship with Him, ministry, and relationships with others. How many times have you felt frustrated cause you are not as close to God as you want to be? Has it driven you to start reading your Bible, or fast something, or pray more? Then you have reacted correctly. Frustration should fuel our passion for Him. It is when we are comfortable with things that we are vulnerable to apathy and atrophy. We think we are “ok” and we become lax in the spiritual diciplines that helped us get closer to God. It’s like not going mountain biking for a couple of weeks and trying to get back on the bike and take a double black diamond trail. You might make it (doubt it) but you will pay a price for being out of action for weeks.
Are you frustrated? Are you longing for change? Does it hurt? Then you are in a good place. Let our frustrations and pain drive us into the arms of our Savior. Let us find our satisfaction in His prescense. If you are not frustrated, I pray God would make you so frustrated that you will have to do something. Something that will shake you from your apathy and comfort zone! Something that will impact your families, friends, community, and world for the kingdom of God!
Kevin
