Feeling Frustrated

Sometimes we don’t want to stick with what God has called us to do. We grow tired, discouraged, frustrated, and feel like it’s not worth the hard work. For all of us, it’s something different.

Sometimes the frustrations of motherhood take all our energy and leaves us empty. Sometimes it’s ministry that depletes us. We feel like we don’t have anything left to give. There’s little progress to see, and we don’t feel like we are making a difference. Maybe it’s our job. We feel like we are giving everything we have, but it’s just not enough.

Feeling Weary

I felt this way recently. I felt tired. Maybe that’s not the right word. Weary. Do you ever grow weary in life? Weary of trying to make the right decisions, of trying to make everybody happy, of needing to try harder and do more? And yet the harder you try, the worse it seems to get?

A few days ago in my morning time, God encouraged me with this verse.

Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; II Corinthians 4:1

God used this verse to remind me that whatever God has given us to do, He will give us the grace to accomplish it. A few verses later, God tells us how we can do our ministry without fainting or quitting.

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. II Corinthians 4:16

Though we feel like we are falling apart on the outside, we can strengthen ourselves internally. Frustration doesn’t have to control us. How can we strengthen our “inward man,” our heart?

5 Steps to Combating Frustration

1. Spend time each morning reading, journaling, and praying. This is the most important step. God can strengthen our hearts and encourage us when we spend time with Him. If you need inspiration to get started with a morning time, read my post on tips for an effective morning time.
2. Listen to encouraging and uplifting Christian music. Just as music soothed the spirit of Saul in the Bible, music can soothe our spirit. When I am really irritated and can’t seem to settle, I turn on the Laura Story station on Pandora or the K-Love app on my phone. Rather than staying frustrated, Christian music helps calm us and turn our focus back to God.
3. Take a nap or go to bed early. Sometimes we just need sleep. It’s amazing how good a nap or a few extra hours of sleep can help us regain perspective and composure.
4. Spend time with friends or family. Find somebody that is uplifting and encouraging to spend time with. Go grab coffee with a friend, have a game night with a group of friends, have your extended family over for a meal, host a dessert night with friends from church. Do something that pulls you out of your thoughts and head and helps you focus on others.
5. Get out of your environment. Take a vacation or a day off and drive someplace away from where you live. Often when Matt and I are frustrated, we will use our day off to drive out to Lancaster, PA. It’s about an hour and a half from where we live. Just getting away from the city and out into the country brings us peace. Sometimes we just need to get away from our problems physically to be able to handle them emotionally.

The faster we move our focus off of ourselves and back to God and others, the faster our frustration will fade.