DONT LET YOUR FRUSTRATION DRIVE YOUR ACTIONS I am really, really mad right at that very day. That i resolved to pray so that my father should die just because he had never wanted me to ride his Vespa, ( a brand of motorcycle). Some people will say i was such a foolish nauty boy. But some of us has done something worst.You know what will happen when he dies then............ I even feel like crying from the stress of the situation. Is a very long story i would not like to share on this platform. That was as a teenager though. Today when i remember this i will always laugh at my deep ignorance. Thank God he never answered that prayer . That is how so many of us has something we crave for but we can not have them at that moment or we have them but they are getting on our nerves. Have you ever been in this kind of emotional state? The circumstances don’t really matter to let me cover the points I want to write about today. Furthermore, let me just say I was very frustrated about a situation with my work, relationship, career, and some people I depend on. Today was not a good day! And now I have to deal with it. But here’s the thing . . . I have learned from experience that when we are in such a carnal state (and yes, my flesh is screaming right now), it’s not the right time to react. It’s not even the right time to say very much. I know. I’ve made the mistake of letting my frustration drive my actions and the results are usually not very good! In fact, they are usually regrettable. As hard as it may seem, the very best thing to do when frustration has you by your neck is to be quiet. Let some time pass. Get a perspective. And try to calm your nerves as much as you can. This may take a little time. You may need to take a walk and get some fresh air. But the goal right now is to keep your emotions in check so they don’t do damage! There is nothing wrong with anger. Jesus was angry several times. And of course, the Old Testament includes many times when God was angry and even disgusted with His people. So don’t beat yourself up for feeling angry or frustrated about an issue. But there is a tipping point. And here is what the Word of God says about it, “Be angry, and do not sin.” Ephesians 4:26. So yes, feel the anger. But don’t allow it to be the driving force behind your actions that could cause damage to you or to others. For me, this command is why it’s so important to keep my lips sealed when I am frustrated and angry. Again, the Bible has a very clear instruction to us about that, “Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.” James 3:10-12 Anger and frustration often serve as the fuel for toxic words, put-downs and mean statements! But once those anger-filled words are out of your mouth, there’s no getting them back! They are like feathers caught by the wind, never to be recaptured. The Bible also teaches us a couple other really important lessons about anger. It’s found in the second half of Ephesians 4:26. Here’s the whole verse, “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.” God doesn’t want anger and frustration to mature into resentment and bitterness. He doesn’t want us in the stress negative emotions can foster. And He doesn’t want us to get into unforgiveness. You must everly learn to Shake It Off!. However, that’s exactly what we’re to do. We are to shake off the negative feelings. We are to forgive. We are to rid our souls of the junk before it has time to fester. I’d like to say my heart is now totally free of the frustration I feel about my associates. But I’m not quite there, yet. I’ll get there. And as I do, I will think about how to handle the issue in a way that is right and respectful and appropriate for all of us. We will get through this . . . and as a child of God and a citizen in His kingdom, I have a responsibility to be kind rather than harsh. Respectful rather than rude. And open rather than closed off (I have to admit, I think the Holy Spirit is talking to me right now. “Yes, Sir. I will obey.”) Yes, obedience is the trump card. No matter how I feel, as a follower of Jesus Christ I am called to obey. Sometimes the voice of frustration is telling us, call off the marriage, quite that job, opt for that career, stay alone every one hates you, Breathe in while silently saying the word, “Peace.” Breathe out while silently saying the words, “Be still.” Repeat. Ponder: We all have stuff and situations in life that panic us. Fear saps our energy and leaves us feeling depleted and hopeless. What are your fears today? Be honest. Read the scripture in the image. When we listen to God’s words of peace and believe them, we allow them to work their way into our innermost beings and settle the fear and chaos within. If your only answer contains reactions to the situation instead of ways to remedy the situation itself, you are dealing with an event you cannot control. But what if the line isn’t so clear? A lot of us deal with this frustration all the time with depression or anxiety. Much of it may be out of our control– the fact that it happens to us, that it comes in uninvited. We can avoid the triggers that we know lead us to depression, but in many of us, something like not getting enough sleep can be enough to set it off. And that’s not our fault. Our actions, however, we can control. We can choose to stand up and protect ourselves with self-care, or we can let it take us away. I advocate fighting for your health and taking positive action to stay standing, but I want to make sure I’m clear about this next part: fighting your depression in terms of pushing it down, pretending it’s not there or being angry at yourself for going through it at all is a waste of time. That is not the “fight” that I’m promoting. The “fight” I teach is the refusal to be dragged away with it, to maintain hope in the fury of chaos. You can get angry at it. You can be disappointed that it’s happening again. But the more you try to stuff it down, the stronger it gets.You can learn to live in spite of these storms. With practice they may lose their power, diminishing from hurricanes to gentle rains. And if they don’t, you’ll get stronger at holding your ground and living your life no matter how much they blow. Let the storm pass, and stay standing by accepting that it’s happening. Finally focus on Jesus Christ who is the author and the finisher of our faith. GOD BLESS U. By Pastor Ebenezer Chukwuemeka