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Thursday, March 5, 2009. Let's talk about frustrations. Everyone living on this planet will face frustrations in some way or the other in his life. It is like a general law of life that these challenges are bound to come. But how do we deal with it? How do we interpret it? How do we react? Can we endure challenges? Can we somehow survive? Can we even gain some kind of victory in our frustrations? How can we manage this?

I had a nice chat today about frustration tolerance. A friend of mine said that she thinks that today the frustration tolerance of students in schools or universities is much less than it used to be. Perhaps my own frustration tolerance is small as well? What type of frustration do I fear, when do I stop operating in a normal and fruitful mode?

I realize that Jesus had a strong frustration tolerance at some special events, but had a low tolerance at others. He could not bear false testimony. He got angry when he saw all the people using the temple for their own business - the place where God wanted to meet people. But at the cross he was patient. He prayed for the people causing him pain. Though his life seemed to be not successful at all at this point, he tolerated all this.

Frustrations are usually linked with my own person. I am frustrated because I did not reach some goal, some things are not working out or I failed. What do the events tell me about my own person. Are they really related to me? It might be my fault, I might be responsible. It is good to be self-critical. But sometimes it is not our fault - and we can be calm. In fact we can be calm in any case: in the name of Jesus all our failures are forgiven and absorbed into God's unlimited love and truth. “There is no condemnation to those which are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8, 1) [R.P., Reading, UK]

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