October 1, 2001, Vol.1, No.7.
Two new articles every two weeks.
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us.
THIS ISSUE: "Frustration!"
(see below)
and "The Destiny of Man"
FRUSTRATION!
by Tom Rainwater
Have you ever felt frustrated -- I mean really frustrated?
Have you ever let a difficult or undesirable circumstance ruin
your mood and sour your attitude toward the day? I imagine everyone
of us has felt some degree of frustration this past week over
something. I wouldn't be telling you anything new if I said that
frustration is a part of life. You already know that, and you
probably already know the answer to life's anxieties is Jesus
Christ. But before we get to that point at the conclusion of
the article, I want to illustrate frustration for you from the
life of the Apostle Paul.
When we generally think of Paul, we do not picture a frustrated
man. We envision someone with super-human faith, totally undaunted
and unaffected by the hardships of life. We see him as someone
who walked ten feet off the ground, never getting discouraged
nor feeling down. Well, if that is our view of him, then we do
not know the real "Saul of Tarsus." We know he was
indeed strong in the faith, and the reason he was strong was
that he knew how to deal with frustration. His life was full
of fear and trembling (1Cor.2:3). His preaching brought him frequent
beatings, cursings and imprisonments (2Cor.11:23-28). He remained
strong in spite of those things -- things probably more serious
than what typically frustrates us today.
Paul's frustration as a new
Christian
After Paul (Saul) first became a Christian, what happened?
The unbelieving Jews of Damascus, angered that he was now preaching
Christ, persuaded the Gentile authorities to search for him so
they could kill him. Watch was posted throughout the city and
especially at the gates. They were determined that he would not
leave town alive. He escaped by being let down the city wall
in a huge basket at night. (Acts 9:23-25; 2Cor.11:32-33).
After running for his life, Paul probably was excited about
going to meet the brethren in Jerusalem and finding encouragement
among them. What he found there were people who didn't want him
around because they feared him, knowing his past reputation as
a persecutor of the saints (Acts 9:26-28). Had it not been for
Barnabas' insistence in bringing Paul before the apostles to
prove to them his conversion was genuine, Paul might never have
been accepted among the brethren. Do you think he felt any frustration
then?
Rejection doesn't feel very good, does it? Have you ever been
made to feel unwelcome, being put in a position of having to
prove yourself? Someone, at the first, saw Paul and ran away
or slammed the door on him. It's all because of his own past
reputation -- his own doing. Paul felt frustrated not just because
the brethren were slow in recognizing his conversion, but because
his own former sin, though forgiven, brought less than comfortable
consequences. Is your frustration due to the sin of your past
life and the lingering consequences of it?
I personally know people who committed sin, were forgiven
of it in Christ, but still had to deal with the physical consequences
of their sin afterwards. Indeed, the important thing to do is
find forgiveness in Christ to cleanse and save the soul. But
afterwards, for them, came the task of dealing with either an
unwanted pregnancy, a drug addiction, or a jail sentence. In
the back of Paul's mind, he never forgot that he murdered many
Christians out of misguided zeal before his conversion. He always
felt unworthy of his forgiveness and his apostleship. But, again,
what type of person do we think of when we think of Paul? We
think of someone faithful and strong -- a spiritual leader! In
Christ, you can be that, too, regardless of your past, and regardless
of any frustration that your past might bring you!
Paul's frustration as an
Apostle
God chose Paul to be an apostle. I wonder how many times people
told Paul, "You know something....you're not one of the
original twelve." When Paul had to be firm in dealing with
sin among the brethren, I imagine some of the less-faithful brethren
responded this way. "Who are you to exercise authority?
You aren't one of the twelve. What right to you have to preach
to us? You used to kill Christians. The original twelve never
did that. Peter never did that. John never did that." We
know people doubted Paul's apostleship because of his responses
to his critics in 2nd Corinthians and Galatians. I wonder if
Paul felt any frustration when he had obviously spoken to these
people by inspiration, had performed the signs and wonders of
an apostle, had passed on the gifts of the Spirit, and still
some of them questioned whether or not he was "good enough"
to be an apostle.
Have you ever felt frustrated when people won't listen to
you teach from the Bible? Have you felt frustrated when they
make you the issue as to why they won't listen? Some might
look down on your age and say,"You're too young (or old)
for me to respect what you say. Who are you to tell me what I
should do?" Or they may turn up their nose and say, "You're
not from around here, are you?" Or they may think you're
inadequate to help them because, "You don't understand my
troubles. You haven't gone through what I have." People
have a million excuses why they won't listen to you teach them
the Gospel. What I say is: keep teaching the word anyway, and
when they say things like that and frustrate you because they
won't listen, know you are in good company with Paul.
Paul's frustration about
something he could not change
Paul had risked his life on many occasions preaching the gospel
from Asia Minor to Macedonia and Achaia, establishing churches
in nearly every province he traveled. Yet, in the meantime something
was really bothering him: a "thorn in the flesh." (2Cor.12:7-10.)
That he describes it as a "thorn" shows his frustration.
We do not know what that "thorn" was, but we do know
that it bothered Paul a great deal since he pleaded to God three
times in prayer that it be removed. We can also deduce that it
wasn't something that Paul himself could change.
Paul healed many people of their infirmities and cast out
demons by the power of God. Yet he could not cast away whatever
this "thorn" was that was bothering him. Do you have
anything in your life that frustrates you, yet you have no power
to do anything about it? I know a preacher in Kentucky that is
going completely blind. Is that a hindrance to his work? Yes!
Is it a source of frustration for him? Most definitely! Is there
anything he can do to correct or change it? No. Does it seem
fair that a preacher, who could do so much more for the Kingdom,
is about to completely lose his sight? No. You may have a bodily
infirmity, disability or disease that you are powerless to control.
Or maybe you have some other kind of problem that will not go
away. I want you to know that you are just like Paul.
Paul was able to deal with his "thorn" when he finally
accepted these two facts: (1) that the "thorn" was
there, and it wasn't going to go away, and (2) that he, in his
weakness, would be able to encourage you to do the best
you can in the Lord. God wants you to see that if Paul could
be faithful with a "thorn," then you can, too! If you
have a "thorn in the flesh," you have something other
people don't have: a bond with the Apostle Paul! Glory in that,
my friend!
Paul's frustration about
a lost friend
Later in his preaching, Paul was arrested and brought to Rome
twice. The first time he was put under house arrest and then
released. The second time, he was treated like a condemned criminal
who would soon be executed. Paul awaited the end. Yet that is
not what bothered him the most. Demas, once one of Paul's trusted
co-workers (Phile.24; Col.4:14), had turned his back on both
Paul and the Lord (2Tim.4:9-10). Demas had become worldly again,
and Paul knew his soul was in great danger. Paul cared deeply
about others, and the fact that Demas left at this crucial time
would have added frustration upon frustration.
It is indeed discouraging when people we've known to be faithful
to God for years, leave Him for the vain pleasures of sin. Have
you felt frustrated when that happens? I have. I imagine Paul
felt that frustration many, many times. When we feel it, our
hearts are saddened alongside of Paul's. We can do like Paul
and find encouragement in those who hold to their faith, so we
can deal with the disappointment of those who don't. Paul found
so much comfort in the faithful at Philippi, Ephesus, Corinth,
Colosse, Thessalonica, Rome, and other places. We must also look
to those who hold fast the confession of their faith. But even
if all men were to fail us, there is Jesus Christ who will never
disappoint us.
Paul's frustration in his
loneliness
At the time Paul was in prison awaiting his death, only Luke
was with him (2Tim.4:11a). I can imagine a lonely Paul seeking
comfort from Luke, requesting this of the Gospel writer: "Brother,
tell me again about the time that Jesus walked on the water.
Tell me about Jesus sending out the seventy." While in prison,
Paul wrote Timothy to come and bring John Mark before he died
(2Tim.4:11b). Paul was no longer skeptical about John Mark as
he had been years earlier. John Mark had matured into a reliable
worker. In fact, John Mark also had written a book by God's inspiration:
the Gospel of Mark. I can imagine Paul, in preparing himself
for death, saying: "John Mark and Luke, I'm about to die.
Tell me about the time when Jesus died on the cross."
Friends, Paul was frustrated and bothered and hindered the
entire time he was a Christian: from conversion to death. You
know that the presence of problems and frustrations did not make
him any less of a Christian. Please apply this to yourself if
you are a Christian, and know that the presence of frustration
in your life does not demean or lessen your blessings in Christ.
In reality, life's difficulties give you greater opportunities
for your light to shine! What if Paul had never suffered, or
had never been persecuted? Would we be as impressed with his
faith as we are now? No, we wouldn't. What if nothing had happened
to Paul to test his perseverance? Would we be encouraged as much
to persevere in life? No. Like Paul, your own frustrations can
be a way to teach others. If they see your hardships and your
faith as you stick it out, they will be encouraged to continue
in Christ through your example.
Jesus Christ is the answer
Yes, Jesus Christ is the answer. He is the answer to the problems
of sin, discouragement and death. All are solved through Him.
How are they solved? When we obey Him, He forgives our sins,
gives us sources of encouragement, and eventually raises us from
death to walk in eternal life.
This article could have been a lesson on the frustrations
in Jesus' life. Remember that He was not accepted by His own
people, and was betrayed by one of His own disciples. Picture
His sorrow in the Garden of Gethsemane, His arrest, His trials,
His scourging, and then His crucifixion on the cross. As Paul
looked to Jesus' sufferings for strength, Jesus looked to His
Father for strength. We can get encouragment from all those places.
Will you please resolve to be strengthened in these ways:
(1) by becoming a Christian and receiving all spiritual blessings
in Christ (Eph.1:3), (2) by recognizing the bond we all share
together as Christians facing the same frustrations (1Pt.5:8-9),
and (3) by finding strength, comfort and hope from the same source:
the source above.
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