Frustration-Free Living

But if you refuse to listen to the Lord your God and do not obey all the commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overwhelm you….The Lord himself will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in everything you do, until at last you are completely destroyed for doing evil and abandoning me. Deuteronomy 28:15, 20 (New Living Translation, NLT) emphasis mine

Deuteronomy 28 is a chapter that clearly describes the blessings of following God and the curse that comes from rebelling against Him. When people study this chapter and read about the curse, they typically focus on the sicknesses and poverty that are under the curse. However, it is worth noting that frustration is part of the curse as well.

As born-again believers, we are not under the curse- we are under the blessing. This means that we do not have to be plagued with frustration. According to Dictionary.com, frustration is “a feeling of dissatisfaction, often accompanied by anxiety or depression, resulting from unfulfilled needs or unresolved problems.” As a child of God, you don’t have to struggle with frustration.

Often, we wrestle with feelings of frustration when we are in a situation where we think we’re powerless to do anything. In such circumstances, the enemy loves to bring thoughts of agitation and frustration to hinder us from moving ahead in faith. The key is for us to ignore those feelings and turn our thoughts on what God has told us through His Word and through the things He has personally spoken to us. Frustration is an extremely negative emotion and is never beneficial. Therefore, when we experience it, we can quickly rebuke the devil without having to spend time thinking about it. Frustration is easy to identify and the source is always satan, so we can come against it immediately.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus Philippians 4:6-7 (New Living Translation, NLT)

Maybe you started a new job and you are learning a multitude of new tasks. Perhaps you are waiting on a rebellious child to turn their life around. Possibly, your finances are not where you need them to be. Regardless of your specific circumstances, frustration is tied to fear and worry. This means that we address situations that produce frustration the same way we address worry. We take the situation to God and let Him handle it. When we do, frustration is replaced with peace. And when we are walking in peace, the devil cannot stop our progress.

Don’t let frustration get the best of you. Determine to live free from the curse of frustration and dwell in the peace that comes from trusting God.