Joel Young Blog.com

Over the last month I have been going through one of the most trying seasons of frustration I have ever dealt with. Every day it seems like there is yet another pressing problem or another fire to put out. Not only is it tiring, but it’s taxing on every aspect of my life. This morning as I dealt with yet another frustrating headache I realized something about myself. I expect, and even welcome, frustration during a season of personal or public growth for the Kingdom of God, but somehow I have embedded this understanding in my heart that it will be over quickly. I have been assuming that Satan’s schemes to frustrate me in my life and ministry will be like the removal of a band-aid from my forearm. I expect to lose some hair, but I also don’t expect it to last very long, so I can easily deal with it.

The problem is that Satan doesn’t always play by the rules. Look at Job as an example. After he had lost all of his family and possessions he was probably thinking the season of frustration was over, but it wasn’t. He went on to lose his health and some of his closest friends. Look at the Apostle Paul. Scholars believe that he suffered through debilitating pain most of his adult life. He called it a, “thorn in his side,” and pleaded with God to take it from him. Sounds frustrating to me.

What I’m trying to say is that if we are going to commit to serving the kingdom of God we should expect no end to the frustration. In many ways we should expect it to continue as long as we are faithful in our service. The season could last for weeks, months, years, or decades. But, since we’ll never have that kind of information we just have to push forward through the frustration and continue to work diligently in God’s will knowing that it will do nothing but frustrate Satan and his efforts all the more.