Beyond Frustrated

Dr. Mike Murphy
March 28, 2019

There are two things about Hell that I am absolutely certain about.  First, as any good Southerner will tell you, the official drink of Hell will be unsweetened tea.  Second, I am left knowing, without a doubt in my mind, that Hell is the official address for a “certain and popular cable company”, as I am well convinced that Satan stands as that company’s major stock holder!  

For the past two months, I have been struggling in my dealings with that “cable company”.  We have had a problem with receiving a clear picture from our cable, and we have now had technicians of the company scheduled for repairs seven times.  And during these seven visits, I have also had numerous representatives of the company give me endless excuses as to why the picture on our televisions so often pixelate.  I have watched as they have changed every line in our house, changed out each of the cable boxes four different times, changed the modem(we also have internet with this company) in the hope that would help in the signal the modem sends to the cable boxes, and even change out the incoming splitter in our attic where the cable comes into the house.  And during this time, I have also watched as they have had to send a refresh signal more times than I could even begin to count.

It was with all this in mind, that I prepared for another technician, to pay us yet another scheduled visit.  And prepared I was, as I was loaded for bear! I was more than ready to unload every frustrating question on this technician the moment he arrived.  Having gone over in my head several times all the details of the problems we were having. And determined, this technician was not going to leave until I got answers, or they got the problem resolved.

As the technician arrived, what all my frustration had prepared me for, soon turned to something I was surprised by, as the frustration of my questions, soon required me to turn to my faith for answers.  As soon as the technician arrived, and began to look at one of our cable boxes, he noticed several of Christian study guides that I had on a bookshelf in the room. With one single question, he melted my frustration away.  As with that question he asked me, “Are you a Christian?” With that one question, came several others. Questions that led to me to talk to him about my life in the ministry. Questions that led him to tell me about his family, about his wife's desire to get their family into a good church. Questions that led me to the chance to share with him my faith, and to tell him about the difference that Christ had made in my life. And questions, that opened the door for me to be able to help direct him to a good, local church in his area. One that I have learned in the week since, that he and his whole family attended this past Sunday.

With one question, the Lord took the whole situation out of my frustrated hands, and placed them in the assurance of His hands.  With one question, the Lord showed me that all the pixeling in the world matters little compared to the opportunity to share Him with another.  And with one question, with a single asking statement, the Lord reminded me that my plans are trivial when they come in contact with His plans.

The Lord used that moment of frustration to reminded me of a very important lesson.  No matter the situation I face, no matter how frustrated I might become, I cannot allow myself to compartmentalize God.  His love and grace demand that He be the God of all my life. If not, I must accept the fact, He is not my God at all. Ephesians 2:19 tells me, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  The Lord created me to be a reflection of the good works only He is capable of doing through me. A reflection that calls on me to give it my undivided attention. For me to not just be there in the moments that I want to give to Him, but in every moment. So the opportunity might always be there for Him to work through me.

My logic can only lead me to more moments of frustration.  But His wisdom is capable of taking me to continuous moments of hope that my frustration can never know.  His Word tells me, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”(John 15:5).  The reality of my logic looks to frustratingly blind me to the simple wisdom He looks to remind me. A simple wisdom that finds the Holy Spirit constantly keeping my ego in check by always whispering the reminder in my ear, I am nothing without Him.  I owe Him everything. Every moment He might need me. Every chance He might seek to work through me. Every opportunity He might present before me to share all He has done in me with another.

We often find ourselves saying, there is no situation to big for our God. And that statement could not be more true. But in my moment of frustration, the Lord also reminded me, there is no situation too small for our Lord either.  No situation so small that He does not see it, no situation too small for His hands to guide us through it. No opportunity too small for the Lord to work through us to reach another.  No situation He places me in that is too small to still be greater than my petty frustration.
As He pushed my frustrations to the side that day, He reminded me of how mighty a Lord we serve.  A God, that is always lovingly looking to remind us of just what is important. Painting for us an eternal picture that even the pixeling on my television could make unclear.  A picture that even brings clarity through the clouds of my frustration. A picture that left me more with an image of what He sought to show me, than what my television had waiting for me.
Will I be frustrated again before the “cable company” gets my television fixed?  History shows me that will probably be the case! But despite what history shows me, He now reminds me that my frustration can never guide me, and that frustration can never stand in the way of the amazement of His plans, and His ability to work through me. Standing now as a constant reminder, grace will always offer a greater hope for tomorrow than my frustration ever can.  His plans always look to take me to a place beyond my frustration.

Praying your frustrations never stand in the way of His plans to work through you!