It all started with a nightmare on Sunday night. I was standing in the midst of a large group of people from school and I was very frustrated. Apparently, the best solution that I could come up with was to scream, not words, just high pitched screaming. Not one person in my dream heard me screaming or responded.
Sadly, I allowed the feelings from my dream to set the tone for my week. Frustration and discouragement seemed to be around every corner. I allowed people to fuel the fire of my emotions. Deep sigh. Bad choices abounding.
This morning, I looked up the words frustration and discouragement in a thesaurus. I really wanted to know the antonyms. I found these words: hopeful, cheerful, joy, faith, trust, confident, encouragement, delight, peace, calm. And it was then that it hit me.
The antonyms of frustration and discouragement sounded like the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (See Galatians 5:22-23) Frustration and discouragement can only come from the devil and I don't have to live with them! I can throw them far from me and turn my back and walk away! The devil sent them my way to steal from me, kill me, and destroy me, but Jesus came so that I could have abundant life. Abundant life does not include frustration, discouragement, or any of the other junk the devil brings to me!
What have I learned from this week? There isn't any room for frustration and discouragement when I am full of Jesus and the fruits of the Spirit! That requires spending more time with Jesus and filling my brain up with truth from the Bible. I need people on "my team" during the week who will encourage me and point me to Jesus! I am grateful that there is Hope and that Jesus never gives up on me!
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