Discerning Direction - Honest Frustration

 

When we are in the waiting process for God's direction, we can easily become frustrated.  While we might be inclined to try and squelch that emotion, the truth is God already knows that we are feeling it.  I can recall one evening when I had a speaking engagement at my church and as I prayed before I said (among other things), "God, please let me do well so I don't look..." and then I stopped.  I restarted that line and said, "God, use this night to be a blessing to others and..." and then I stopped, again.  I laughed at myself.  Part of my desire was to not bomb that evening, and yet I stopped from expressing that out loud because I knew it didn't sound very pious.  But I had to laugh - I stopped as if God didn't already know what was in my heart and mind.  The end result - I prayed for both good night for the attendees and for me as well.  I can't help but think God laughed at my attempt to keep my true feelings from Him.

In the waiting process, if frustration arises, we have to own it and speak to God about it.  The nature of the triune God is personal.  Before He created anything at all, God (Father, Son, Spirit) was in communion with Himself.  When contrasted with several other world religions, the Christian faith follows a God who is personal by His very essence and thus allows us to be that same way since we were created in His image (Genesis 1:26 - "our image" - The Trinity in Creation).

So express the frustration, just don't become ruled by it.  Paul charges Timothy to be "clear-minded (2 Timotyhy 4:5), and thus we can experience the emotion of frustration, we just can't let it take us over.  In the same vein, be aware that the frustration that comes from waiting on God's revelation of your next steps should be channeled into speaking to Him about it in prayer.  Consider Lamentations 3:55-57:

Lamentations 3:55-57

55 I called on your name, LORD,

from the depths of the pit.

56 You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears

to my cry for relief.”

57 You came near when I called you,

and you said, “Do not fear.”

As you can see, the author is willing to be honest with God, and it appears without much concern for shrouding what's happening in his heart.  We can share in an authentic way, in an honest way, and yet still be respectful.  The personal and holy nature of God may be approached in the same way that Jesus approached Him - "Holy Father" (John 17).   

- tC