Frustrations will inevitably come in life and one normal reaction can be to blame others for it. But Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church wants believers to take a step back from their issues and assess the truth.
"Ask yourself, 'Did I cause it?' The Bible says, 'A man reaps what he sows' (Galatians 6:7 NIV). We are often frustrated by things in life because we bring them on ourselves," he wrote on his website.
After, Warren said they should begin learning from their frustrations and use it as an opportunity to become more like Jesus Christ. But how does one start?
Warren said the first step is to thank God for the situation - no matter how difficult it might be. "You don't have to be thankful for a bad situation, but you can be thankful in a bad situation. Frustration may be a blessing in disguise," he said.
The pastor also suggested that believers try to see the funny side of the things that are causing them frustration. "A sense of humor is God's antidote for anger and frustration," he said.
And lastly, Christians need to ask God to fill them with His love. Warren explained that God's love is self-giving, not self-serving. People often get irritated because they think everyone and everything has to revolve around them, and they need to give attention to others' needs as well.
"We get so preoccupied with our own things that we forget that people are the priority in life. Jesus faced constant frustrations, too, but he always made time for people," he said.
Meanwhile, Warren said earlier that God places value in relationships, and He wants His children to make every effort to maintain them. It might be tempting to just discard relationships every time there is a rift, hurt, or conflict. But Warren said that is not God's way.
"Because Christ wants his family to be known for our love for each other, broken fellowship is a disgraceful testimony to unbelievers," he said.
