Faith and Feelings: Frustrated

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Robison via Flickr

Sometimes I get so frustrated I just want to scream. Or punch something. Or hide in the closet and inhale a bag of chocolate.

But I refrain. (Most of the time, anyways.)

There are so many experiences in life that can produce frustration. Perhaps its a continual miscommunication with our spouse. I could be a teething baby who refuses to nap. Maybe it is that pesky bathroom scale with numbers that refuse to budge even after you have worked your tail off the last week.

Frustration is everywhere and is one of the important “feelings” to discuss in our “Faith and Feelings” series. Fortunately for us, we aren’t alone in our frustration.

Jesus, as perfect as a man as He was, got frustrated too.

Don’t believe me? Crack open your Bible and see for yourself. How many times do we see him telling his disciples “Oh you of little faith!” or asking followers “How can you be so dull?”

If I let my imagination go, I can almost see him placing his head in his hands, letting out a deep, frustrated sigh and looking up with weary eyes as he says, “Seriously guys? Get with the program. How many times do we have to go over this?!?”

But even in all his frustration, Jesus was still the prime example on how to deal with the struggles of this world. So I have composed a few tips to ensure that our faith is kept rock solid, even if we are frustrated.

1. Don’t quit. Even though Jesus was dealing with frustration, He didn’t give up on his ministry or fire His disciples. He didn’t write them off as a lost cause, throw up His hands and walk away. Instead, He showered grace on them… Over and over and over again. We can do the same thing with those people, places and things in our lives that bring us frustration.

2. Get away for some recharge time with God. All throughout the Gospels, we find Jesus breaking free from the crowds and spending time alone with God to pray. This is a wonderful technique for us to engage as well. In those moments of frustration, instead of punching a wall or inhaling that bag of chocolate, we should take a JTO– a Jesus Time Out. It might be retreating to the bathtub to relax and unwind. It could be going for a run to work out some of the frustrated energy. Or if you are really strapped for time and need help in the moment, it might require a few deep breaths and a prayer whispered under your breath.

3. Voice your frustration in a loving way. This doesn’t mean yell or curse or dump all your junk on someone. This could involve taking a deep breath and literally saying, “Sweet baby girl, I love you so much. But the fact that you are refusing to nap today is really causing me a lot of frustration. Let’s pray together, ok?” I have literally said this to my daughter even though she isn’t quite a year old… I know she doesn’t quite understand but getting it out into the open really helps. Plus it brings LOVE and GRACE back to the surface.

In what areas of your life are you most frustrated? How can we deal with our frustrations without it negatively impacting our faith? I would love to hear your tips and tricks for this sticky emotion. Leave a comment below.

If you are feeling frustrated right now dear friends, take a breath and lay it at the foot of the cross. Jesus understands your struggles. Trust that your season of frustration is simply a way that He is seeking to grow you.

Plus it’s a great excuse for a good workout followed by a piece of dark chocolate. 😉

Frustration free (for the moment,)