Most of us are heading into our second full week of quarantine (some of us voluntarily, others involuntarily) surrounding this world wide epidemic called COVID-19 or the coronavirus. Life around us has significantly changed in a very short amount of time. Many of the things that, if we are honest, we have taken for granted have been suspended, postponed, or cancelled. Sporting events (March Madness…I miss you), eating at your favorite restaurant on a Friday night, and even going to a church building to worship have been removed from most of our schedules.
What many might have initially seen as a welcome distraction, a little bit of time off of the normal routines of work or school, has now become much more than that. For many of us, something will happen this week. That old familiar enemy will creep back into our world. Of what do I speak…FRUSTRATION. All of us have logged time in its clutches. All of us have inwardly struggled with this beast at one time or another, some of us more than we would like to admit. Rest assured frustration will come. Frustration at the government (from both sides of the aisle), frustration with the schools, frustration with your kids..it’s coming.
So, I wanted to take a second and give you some practical weapons to slay this beast…
1. Count your Blessings. Wield this sword when the beast comes knocking. Thankfulness is a powerful weapon in the right hands. Got a second, read Philippians 4:6-8 “…in everything through prayer WITH THANKSGIVING let your request be made known to God…”
A thankful heart is a battleground the enemy of frustration doesn’t want to fight on. He will move on to other hearts where there is discouragement, anger, and resentment. Frustration wants no part of thankfulness. So count your blessings name them one by one…count your blessings see what God has done!
2. Be a Blessing. This is your shield against this beast’s attack. Serving someone else takes the legs out from under this beast quicker than any other weapon in your arsenal. It doesn’t even have to be something gigantic…send a letter (if you still know how to do that), send an email, send an encouraging text. Share your favorite verse with a friend. If you are out (lots of hand sanitizer if you have to go out) pick up something for someone who is stuck at home. There are countless ways to serve someone else.
Frustration wants nothing to do with a servant heart. He knows it is a fight he cannot win. He will run for the hills, or at very least he will run to the heart of the one who is only thinking about himself or the one who is only concerned with how he is being impacted. That is an easy target for the enemy, but the servant heart…the servant heart is different.
3. Pray for a Blessing. This probably should have been first because this is the battle plan against the beast. You can have the best weapons and the right armor but if you have a terrible battle plan, the beast can still get a foothold or worse win the battle!!! There are some things that in our own power we cannot do, some things we cannot overcome, so we pray to the one who can. We pray for God to bless us, so that we can be a blessing to others. We pray for God to bless others so that his name will be praised.
Frustration is scared to death of a praying heart. The beast knows he cannot stay in a heart that trusts and relies on a God who is an ever present help in times of trouble.
This beast will attack this week, my charge is for you to be ready to meet frustration with the weapons of prayer, service, and thankfulness. If you have already let him in the door of your house or you office, nothing will send him packing quicker than these weapons.
So gear up, fight the good fight, and slay the beast.
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