Frustration

I often use this word when I’m angry because it doesn’t make my anger sound so bad. I think frustration is more of a hidden anger. I see anger out front and loud; frustration seems like anger that is being managed.  A relative word to frustration is exasperation. I think frustration comes when I really make my case for my belief or opinion, and I can’t get others to see things from my perspective. There are times that these are deep convictions and there are other times when it’s just my opinion that I old tightly too.

Jesus gets frustrated with the religious leaders quite often in His ministry. These were the leaders of God’s Chosen people, yet they missed Him. They had been praying for the Messiah for many years and when He arrived, they were so steeped in their religious rules and traditions that they missed seeing Him. Check this out…

¹Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. ² Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.

³ Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” ⁴ Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him.

⁵ He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! ⁶ At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus. (Mark 3:1-6 NLT)

I know that my heart has frustrated the Lord on many occasions. I want what I want when I want it. I ignore the tug on my heart to do the right thing. I know that this frustrates the Lord. I have been shown so much grace and mercy over the years, I amazed by His patience and His love for me. His love and grace draw me like a magnet to repent and return to His consistent call upon my life.

I think about my disappointment as a parent when one of my kids makes a bad decision and the consequences are scary. I still love them and try to help them, but it hurts my heart deeply.

This story demonstrates the love of Jesus toward the man with the deformed hand. I think Jesus knew that healing this man would tick off the religious leaders. He changed this man’s life AND his heart. Jesus was making a point of the importance of human beings over the religious rules that other humans added to God’s law. Jesus came to introduce God’s new covenant of love and grace. I think He was frustrated with the religious leaders because they represent people who seem to think that they are God’s police force. They break the laws constantly that they want to enforce on others.

I’m so thankful for the Lord’s grace and mercy toward me. I deserve His frustration and anger, but instead, I receive His grace and love in reckless amounts to drench my hard heart.  I’m humbled and thankful.

Pressing On!

Dwayne