Case of the Mondays
We’ve all heard the expression, and I’m sure we can all relate to the feeling at times. Are there times, though, that it feels like no matter what you do, you just can’t shake it? The reality is that we’ve all got responsibilities in life. Whether you’re a kid living at home, a student in college, an employee for a company, a spouse, a grandparent, or in your later stages of life enjoying retirement, life and its responsibilities never stop.
As kids, our responsibilities may be smaller and carry far less weight, but as parents, I can guarantee they still carry the same feelings and responses we have as adults. I see it in my son every time I ask him to put down his Switch to go pick up his shirt off the living room floor that he felt for some reason he needed to rip off and toss there, as opposed to placing it in the laundry basket. If you’re a parent, you know the response and the look. Eyes roll back into their head, and their jaw drops with what can only be described as a noise of agony. “Uuugggghhhhh …” After the sound finally ends, it’s usually followed by something like this, “Daaaadd, I’m in the middle of battle. Why do I have to do it right now?” Your parenting style and current mood will often dictate your response that comes next. Personally, my first thought is, who bought you that Switch? I ask you to do very little, and picking up your dirty shirt will take 10 seconds. Actually, why did you take it off in the first place? Never mind, just do it because I told you so. Those sound about right? Well, the reality is that, as adults, our responses aren’t all that different. We probably just hide them better.
Is That Right?
Learning to hide our frustrations and struggles may seem better at face value, but is that really the best way to handle them? I’m not saying that we need to express our frustrations toward the person or situation that’s causing them. What I’m saying is that there’s always a better way to handle them. Hiding our frustrations and struggles can lead to bitterness and anger. We stuff those emotions down deeper and deeper, and they start to boil up. We even feel them inside as our stomach turns into knots. Our blood pressure rises, and our heart rate increases. We may get the task done or take care of the situation, but we do it begrudgingly. Even when we get everything done, that feeling stays with us, and the next time a similar request or situation comes up, those emotions come rushing back, making it easier for us not to hide our frustration so well. Solomon warned of this in Ecclesiastes 7:9 when he says, Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the hearts of fools. So, what’s a better way to deal with our frustrations? I’m glad you asked that question because the answer, although easy in theory, can be difficult in practice. We have to shift our perspective from frustration to thankfulness.
It’s Biblical
The Bible is filled with passages talking about thankfulness. A quick search on being thankful will bring up hundreds of passages such as Psalm 107:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Psalm 106:1, Colossians 4:2, 1 Corinthians 15:57, Hebrews 12:28, and Philippians 4:6-7. Each of these passages centers on hearts that are grateful for what God is doing and has done in their lives. Each writer has recognized that, in and of themselves, they were lost, broken, defeated, an enemy of God, and still, He poured His grace over their lives. While all of these passages and many others can give us direction, there are two specific passages I want to point you towards that can help shift your perspective: Philippians 4:12-13 and Colossians 3:15-17.
Be Content
Paul writes quite a bit about being thankful, and I believe that when we truly lean in on Christ and let Him work in our lives, we can make this shift. That said, without faith in Christ, this is not something we can do in and of ourselves because our sin nature will always lean us towards frustration, anger, and bitterness. In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul writes about the fruits of the Spirit that become the evidence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. Those fruits are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can have peace and patience in the midst of our struggles, but we can also have self-control. It’s easy to think about self-control from the perspective of our outward actions, but it’s also true for the mental part of controlling our thoughts, worries, frustrations, and doubts. With this in mind, let’s take a look at Philippians 4:12-13:
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
When Paul wrote these words, he did so in jail. The reason it’s important to understand this is tied to the words from that passage. Paul states that he knows what it is to live in plenty. Prior to his radical life change, he held a prestigious position within the church. He had wealth, power, respect, and fear of those around him. At the same time, he says that he knows what it’s like to be hungry and in want. From a worldly perspective, he’s had it all and lost it, but through everything he has lived, he’s found the secret to being content, Jesus Christ, and through Him, Paul has the strength to persevere.
Inside and Out
Being content, though, isn’t just an internal feeling or mindset; it’s the manner in which we live it out. Those fruits of the spirit that focus on internal emotions like peace, patience, and self-control also point toward the actions of kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in how we live, love, and interact with the people in our lives. Colossians 3:15-17 paints a beautiful picture of what this looks like in a practical sense in our lives.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Essentially, Paul is telling us that as we lean in on Christ, allowing Him to rule our hearts, we can have peace in all situations. We can be thankful, regardless of what is happening, and as we do, we can encourage and support those around us. We can lift up songs of praise in our hearts, in our prayers, and in all we do. Not for ourselves to get praise back or for hoping God will take away our struggles. We do it because we are thankful for all God has already done in our lives. The ways that He’s carried you through the storms. The ways that He’s shown you mercy when you deserved judgment. The ways that He poured out His grace in your life when you were far from deserving. The fact that He gave everything to bring you back to Himself. It’s in that truth that we find our hope and ability to be content on the inside and then pour that back out to those around us.
Heart Check
Obviously, I don’t know what’s going on in your life right now, and I don’t want to pretend I do. What I can promise you, though, is that I know the God who does. I know the God who loves you more than you could ever imagine. The God who laid down the life of His Son for you. The God whose name, Jehovah Jireh, means “the Lord will provide.” This name was given by Abraham in Genesis 22:14 at the site where God had asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac but provided a ram to take Isaac’s place. Let me point out one more thing. The meaning was not that the Lord did provide. The meaning was the Lord will provide wherever you are. Whatever is going on. However you’re struggling to find gratitude, set your eyes back on the God who is your provider. The One who always has been and always will be.
