Monday, February 01, 2010

Is frustration the birthplace of vision?



Hope you like this one? I was just testing the macro settings!

Every week I meet with Bruce and Tracy we work through a set of questions. One of those questions is "Have I withheld forgiveness, remained frustrated or damaged another person with my words? "

Now two of these subjects, withholding forgiveness and damaging people with your words, are relatively easy to call or be called on. Remaining frustrated is harder.

Is it right to remain frustrated? I once heard someone say that "Frustration is the birthplace of vision" I think he should have said "one of the birth places of vision" or " can be the birthplace of vision".

Frustration that goes unchecked can quickly turn to bitterness, resentment and anger. You're frustrated that your life isn't going anywhere you either get bitter and resentful that you don't get the breaks, or you allow the frustration to drive you to change.

Wilberforce was frustrated with slavery, Mother Teresa was frustrated with destitution, Bob Geldolf was frustrated with the Ethiopian famine, out of their frustration came change. Therefore leaving me to ponder does God allow us to become frustrated in order that we affect change?

If we bring it down a few levels, people can frustrate you, organisations, institutions and even the church can be great sources of frustration. It's what we do with that frustration that matters, do we get fresh energy, fresh drive to bring about change or do we allow our frustration to grow? Frustration can be spread in much the same way as vision, one person gets it and then expresses it with passion to someone else. Frustration can soon spread throughout an organisation or a church like a rather out of control virus. The biggest problem being that people of different maturity levels get infected with the same levels of frustration and then responses to said frustration can be all over the show, breeding disunity, apathy, bitterness and eventually, in extreme cases, death.

If you are in a place of frustration my advice would be allow it to birth vision not spread despair.


1 comment:

rick hill said...

flipping love this post brian...thanks

haven't popped into your blog for a couple of weeks but this thought has been inspiring...and timely

yes i'm often frustrated but realising that this same frustration can be the birthplace of vision is helpful.

keep blogging!!