During seasons of frustration, a natural reaction is to blame circumstances or individuals. When we find ourselves hindered from achieving our goals, discontent may be triggered by external forces, even though the root cause often is internal. Then we sometimes make changes—such as quitting a job, ending a friendship, or moving away—in an attempt to spare ourselves further dissatisfaction. But that’s not how to find genuine peace. When frustrated, we must determine the cause. Discontent has three internal roots:
One is the inability to accept ourselves as God created us. The talents, personality, and physical attributes we’ve been given may not be what we desire, but they are exactly what we need to follow God’s will for our life. Dwelling on what we lack or what we’d change distracts us from serving Him.
A second root is a reluctance to deal with our past. We may have painful memories or recall mistakes that brought us heartache. Only when we admit their impact and confront any resulting emotional or psychological issues can we move on in peace.
The final source of frustration is a refusal to deal with behaviors or attitudes that are outside the Lord’s will. Holding on to an ungodly spirit or a bad habit will often lead to the useless practice of repeatedly trying to justify ourselves to our heavenly Father and those around us.
The human solution for frustration—changing our external situations—will fail every single time. The only way to truly uproot our frustration is by relying on God for the strength to grapple with its source.
Parents often try to give their children every advantage in the hope that they’ll become successful adults. As Christians, we especially want to help our kids increase in knowledge of God and His Word, love for Jesus, appreciation for the body of Christ, and the desire to serve the Lord. Children frequently have great enthusiasm for the things of the Lord. But as they grow older, we sometimes see them falling away from the faith.
Samson is an example of such unfortunate drifting. Despite his godly upbringing, sexual temptations eventually became overly attractive to him.
Scripture reveals several occasions where Samson gave in to his lust. For instance, he desired a pagan woman from Timnah, and despite his parents’ warning, he broke God’s command by marrying her (Judg. 14:1-3). A second incident nearly led to his death; he survived only because of his supernatural strength. (Judg. 14:12-20.) Perhaps the most tragic example was his betrayal by Delilah, the ungodly woman he loved. Lust prevented him from seeing her true nature. As a result, Samson was captured and blinded by the Philistines.
Left unchecked, sin will permeate and dominate our lives, while affecting others with its repercussions. The first step toward success is to become aware of our weaknesses. Next, we must admit helplessness to overcome them on our own. Finally, it’s important to acknowledge God’s sufficiency to rescue us. In the end, Samson recognized his need for God and prayed for strength to strike back at the Philistines (Judg. 16:28). If we share Samson’s perspective, we will be able to obey God’s commands and gain victory.
The psalmist rejoiced in affliction because trials added to his knowledge of God. Lessons in the Lord’s constancy, grace, and provision were more valuable to him than a sack full of gold and silver. Hardship also enriched his heart and spirit.
Affliction acts as spiritual fertilizer on a believer’s faith. Consider how David’s radical pursuit of the Lord developed while he was running from a murderous king. The years between his victory over Goliath and his ascension to the throne were physically demanding and emotionally draining. Yet the challenges that David faced molded him into a wise leader, a cunning warrior, and a humble servant of the Lord.
Psalms 4 and 13 reveal that David’s struggles taught him dependence on God, perseverance, and many other valuable spiritual traits. The Lord also provided comfort even as He stretched the warrior-poet’s faith (Ps. 86:17). As God intended, David’s words continue to offer solace to others who must walk through trials and misery.
By means of affliction, God molds His children into comfort carriers. (See 2 Cor. 1:4.) The message we share with others is the one we learned in our own trials: God is enough. He’s sufficient to meet our needs when the pit is deep, the obstacle high, and the suffering prolonged. Moreover, our own lives prove that no matter the circumstance, God is faithful.
Those whom God leads to triumph over affliction become the fragrance of His care to a hurting world (2 Cor. 2:14). We carry cheer to the discouraged, relief to the hurting, and the message of Christ’s love to all.
As believers, we should constantly strive to grow closer to God (Eph. 4: 15). When He is the Lord of our life, certain characteristics will be evident in us. I’ve compiled a brief inventory of spiritual benchmarks to help you evaluate your progress. But remember, the items below are just a place to start; see the Bible for a complete growth chart!
We know we’re growing spiritually when we become increasingly aware of our sinfulness and weakness. Biographies of godly saints show they don’t “get better” with age and spiritual maturity. Instead, they become ever more sensitive to their dependence upon the Lord. Also, progress is apparent when we respond to sin with quick repentance. Failure to deal with sin is rebellion against God. Growing believers turn away from wrongdoing and embrace righteousness. As we live with the good results of dependence and repentance, our desire to obey God intensifies, and the attraction of sin lessens.
Spiritual growth is also marked by an increase in two things—joy and struggle. Faith is often developed through hardship because living out the principles of trust and endurance helps us see the connection and grasp how it works. So our relationship with God will deepen when we view trials and temptations as opportunities for us to mature.
Paul, David, and Daniel prove that adversity can help form spiritual giants. These men recognized sovereign God as the gatekeeper of their lives. We are maturing when we perceive whatever comes our way as being from Him, which also means that He’s working it for good (Rom. 8:28).
David was confident that the Lord was always right there with him (Ps. 16:8). His psalms reveal that in surveying his life, he saw God’s fingerprints all over it. Like David, we must train our spiritual eyes to notice evidence of the heavenly Father’s presence in our life.
Seeing with spiritual eyes isn’t a now-and-then kind of thing—it’s a lifestyle. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). Those who walk before the Lord with a clear conscience will take captive unholy thoughts, habits, attitudes, and words. They will cast out sin and live in righteousness. As a result, such believers have a spiritual clarity that sharpens their awareness of God’s presence and involvement in their life.
I developed a habit years ago that has helped me to focus on Him. When I lie down and talk to the Lord before going to sleep, I try to recall the events of my day. What I’m really doing is looking for evidence of God’s hand at work. How did He guide this decision? Answer this question? Protect me in this situation? Help me in this relationship? Appreciating the Lord’s handiwork a second time (even when the initial experience may have been difficult) etches the reality of His love deeper in my heart.
The evidence of God’s great power is all over your life, if only you will see it. Viewing the world with wide-open spiritual eyes changes one’s perspective. Instead of saying, “I can’t,” say, “I can because the Lord always enables me.” Live confident in the loving, omnipotent God, who dwells within you.
