Saturday, August 7, 2010

Is Frustration A Sin?





Be ye angry, and sin not:

let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Eph 4:26(KJV)



I sat at the computer the other night. I posted an entry on my blog. My last step before I labeled and published it was to add an image-a picture of an open Bible. I couldn’t get it placed in the upper right corner where I like to put something colorful and attractive.



I brought the image from my blog and moved it up the page several times. Two different times, I had two pictures. We’d had a trying day with Hubby’s medical tests. One set didn’t get done, then he got sick.(I believe it was stress that caused this.) I tried to reschedule the one that needed an appointment but they were all booked-up for two days. So we went to it, anyway,

As I groused about this picture placement issue, my son told me to “edit HTML”. I went into the tab and couldn’t find the ‘picture’. He found the information and added two terms and solved my problem.

I thanked him and said something about almost loosing my cool because of the issue. His reply told me he has learned a few things coming up.

“Now what would that have done?”

“I might have felt better.”

“That wouldn’t have moved the picture. That picture has no feelings. It didn’t know you were frustrated.”

I went on and posted my second entry. This time, I had no problem. I had to do some laundry, so I logged off and went the rest of my evening. When I was out on a shopping trip, I had redeemed a Family Perks coupon at the Family Christian Store. I purchased The Shack, The Secret by Beverly Lewis, and Stormie O’Martian’s Just Enough Light for the Step I’m On.

A close friend told me she was reading “The Shack” and recommended it to me. I started reading it as I awaited the washing machine to run its cycle.

When I awoke the next morning, I thought about my frustration of the previous night.

“Is frustration a sin?” I kept asking myself.

Webster’s New World Dictionary defines the verb ‘frustrate’ as ‘to keep from an objective, to baffle, to foil.’

As I thought about the word, I realized that frustration could be an emotion-like love, anger, jealousy, and happiness. If this is the case, then frustration isn’t a sin; our acting upon it is.

I learned a lesson here. One I should have a long time ago. Thanks to an image that was doing what I didn’t want, I discovered something to help me ‘grow up’ as a Christian, a wife and mother, and, even maybe, as a writer. The experience wasn’t all bad.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Our Walk

If we claim to have fellowship

with him yet walk in the darkness;

we lie and do not live by the truth.

1 John 1:67 (NIV)

Our Physical Walk:

Sometime between the ages of eight and 14 months, children begin an activity that most likely will be present in their lives as long as they live. We call it walking.



Present Day:

When people walk, most of them do it for exercise. Those who have undergone heart bypass surgery have to walk to keep fat and cholesterol from building up in their arteries.



In the Appalachian Mountains a trail goes the entire length of the chain-from Georgia to Maine. Each summer outdoors people walk that trail with the goal of traveling from one end of it to the other. The terrain-rugged and in some places steep discourages all but the hearty hikers. Not all who begin this trek complete it. My husband, our son, and I walked on it for about 20 feet.



In Days Gone By:

Children would play games outdoors on summer evenings. Run Sheep Run, Hide and Seek, Tappy on the Ice Box, Kick The Can, all had one thing in common. Those participating ran from home base to a hiding spot and then tried to get back to the place designated home before getting caught. We’d stay out ‘til we could barely see.

Global :

People in Africa, Venezuela, and other third world nations walk out of necessity. If they are able to own a car, they can’t afford the gasoline. In the 1970s, while we disliked paying $1.00 a gallon, the people of Zaire paid $7.00.



Spiritual Walk:

The Christian life has been compared to a walk. The Bible speaks of walking in darkness.



Isaiah 9:2 “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in a land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”



1 John 1:6

When we talk of the Lord, our lives are to measure up to what we say. Our talk of loving mankind has to be seen in how we treat our neighbors. If we tell others to do something when they have a need, what we say should be translated into our deeds. James tells us if we know what to do and don’t do it, we sin.



Application: When we strive to be in the Lord’s will, our walk will measure up to our talk. Our lives would show consistency. The people in the world can spot inconsistencies in our lives. Children and teens also notice inconsistent behavior quickly.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Grace and Peace in Abundance



“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the

knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine

power has given us everything we need for life and

godliness through our knowledge of him who called

us by his own glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1:23 (NIV)



Abundance definition Plentiful Supply


Physical World

Abundance of crops in years the earth receives the exact amount of moisture needed we have a plentiful supply of apples, tomatoes, corn and wheat.

Abundance of Ideas and Resources When we have plans for a project, we start with just an idea. We ponder how to complete the plans. Thoughts begin to flood our minds. Sometimes, committees working on a new idea have so many thoughts that the panel bogs down in an effort to discover solutions to problems that arise.


Spiritually

God promises us through Peter that we will have an abundance of grace-God’s favor and peace, through our relationship with God through His Son. God Almighty has given us all we need to know about how we should live for Him. We have His Word. We have access to Him through prayer. As God’s children, we shouldn’t have any unsolved problems.

Faith, Belief
Jesus tells us we need to have faith and not doubt. He also tells us we have to believe in order to receive what we seek in prayer.

*We have to believe God exists.

*We have to understand He is in control.

*We have to recognize He wants the best for us, His children.

*We are to not doubt Him when He gives us answers to prayer.

*We have to learn to accept what He gives us, even if that answer wasn’t what we wanted.

*We have to learn how to approach Him when we have a need. We have to ASK.




God Alone

  Jesus and the children at our church's prayer walk.          I will both lie down in peace and sleep;  For You alone, O LORD make ...