"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21
"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." Luke 12:48
OK. Here’s exactly what I mean about not being home yet. Me, with my rich, blessed life. It’s another one of those spells where things have been breaking around our house. Know what I mean? We have really bad luck with doors, and right now the one we use all the time isn’t working. Again. And I’ve just discovered that a week or so ago a bunch of my CDs got wet when water spilled on our countertop. Thankfully the CDs are okay, but the words are shot. I really like my words. And we have some computer issues, still, that on this particular day are making it impossible to take care of an important responsibility--I’ve already spent the time and effort to complete the project, I just can’t manage to send it or print it to get it where it needs to go.
In the midst of my effort to be a good steward of all that God has entrusted to me, the "much" has failed me. So now I can’t succeed. How frustrating is that? In the realm of things that are a big deal, this hardly qualifies. But that doesn’t change the fact that I am feeling irritated by the time thieves, and I need an attitude adjustment.
One time when I was really frustrated by lots of little annoyances, I looked up frustration in my concordance. What I found was surprising. One lone reference, Romans 8:20. It is an amazing description of the dilemma of life on this earth, in the context of verses 18-25. I’m going to type verses 18-21 here for today’s therapy session.
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God."
Frustration stems from the fact that we are not what we were created to be. It makes us yearn for more. It reminds us that our true hope is in eternity. It will end when we meet Him face to face. Glory! And not only that--glory, revealed IN us!! Hallelujah!
2 comments:
I love that verse in Romans, too, but mostly because of who is doing the frustrating, and for what reason.
To me, the "present sufferings" take on a whole new meaning when we finally realize where they come from, and what they are about.
That's a great point, Ben. I was thinking about these verses through much of your lesson from 1 Peter. It's surprising that we find it encouraging that God would subject us to frustration, and even more surprising that we would find hope there. He amazes me.
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