Consider all of reality, avoid Frustration, participate in the Drama of Redemption

Photo by Bianca Ackermann on Unsplash

Life - the here & now - is essential, and there is wisdom in considering circumstances and emotions to determine how we must engage, respond, and take action. However, this life is not what makes up for all of reality, and using circumstances and emotions as our primary or (even worse) only way to determine the truth is not only unwise but dangerous. 

Another element of reality, as valid and necessary as this life is, one we must seriously consider, is the fast-approaching glory. Its arrival brings the perfect implementation of God's grace and justice. Glory may appear to be in the far future, with no implications on how we should conduct our day-to-day affairs, but thinking this way will only produce a narrow and false version of reality, limiting our options and setting us on the path of deep Frustration.

Now, Frustration is unavoidable until we are in His presence; the remaining question is how to handle it, how to prevent Frustration from restraining our engagement and taking away our motivation to participate in the Drama of Redemption. But, of course, Frustration can do more than that; it can also promote our doubts, move us to accept errors, or even heresy and blasphemy.

When we consider all of reality, helped by the Spirit of the Living God, Frustration is easy to handle because we can apply the correct metric to circumstances and emotions. Sometimes, we deal with temporary issues; on other occasions, it is a matter of eternity.

Overcoming Frustration as an obstacle to our participation in the Drama of Redemption is a sign of Christian maturity, of how much God the Holy Spirit helps us to apply the right metric to circumstances and emotions.

APPLICATION

• What frustrates you?
• How difficult is it to apply the right metric to circumstances and emotions?
• How is the Spirit-given ability to overcome Frustration a motivation to participate in the Drama of Redemption?