Fighting Frustration

by HJS

Frustration will always be part of life, yet there are some things you can do to fight back! Here are some guidelines:

GUIDELINE 1: Consult with God before you make plans. It is here we often fail. Ignoring Him, we formulate our plan, then ask Him to bless it, or call on Him to bail us out when we are in trouble - instead of saying, "Lord, what do You want? Is what I have in mind in sync with Your will and purpose for my life?"

GUIDELINE 2: Realize Murphy's Law is as exacting as the laws of thermodynamics. If something can go wrong, it will; so learn to plan ahead. If Plan A doesn't work, have a Plan B which will get you where you want to go through a different way.

GUIDELINE 3: Be realistic. Some of our frustrations are the result of attempting the impossible. It is far better to have goals you can achieve than have goals so unrealistic that you are always frustrated.

GUIDELINE 4: To avoid frustration, act without reacting. If you can't climb the mountain, then tunnel through it or go around. But don't quit.

GUIDELINE 5: Fix it or forget it. If your car is a source of frustration, park it and walk, get a new one or buy a bicycle. But if you can't fix it, ask God for the grace to love it.

GUIDELINE 6: Simplify, simplify, simplify. When I was struggling with a computer a few years ago, my dad - then in his 80s - asked, "Wouldn't it be better to just get a good electric typewriter?" He had a point. Simplifying life as much as you can eliminates a lot of frustration.

GUIDELINE 7: Refuse to let it get to you. Put up a barrier that says, "This far and no further!"

But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.  1 TIMOTHY 6:8