WEAKNESS, FAILURE, FRUSTRATION, AND DESPAIR

 


Many are sold-out for Jesus, but we despair over our weakness and failure to overcome our fleshly afflictions (Romans 7:24-25; Galatians 5:17).  Consequently, we wonder, “What is wrong?” and despair even of our trust in our Savior.

However, Jesus assures us that this struggle is normal for the Christian, even blessed:

•    Matthew 5:3–6 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Our frustrations and despair with ourselves is the process of dying to the self and living for God. This leads us to prayer, thanksgiving, and rejoicing! In what? That we can no longer trust in ourselves but to Christ alone, our only hope:

•    1 Corinthians 1:28–31 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Why then do we hope and boast in Jesus? Because He is our only hope and the One who loves us. Consequently, we want to be like Him and to devote ourselves fully to Him, but how? We need to adopt a new way of thinking, through which we see that our brokenness, disdained by the world, but is beautiful before God:

•    Psalm 34:18–19 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

The marines might be looking for “a few good men,” but the Lord esteems the broken-hearted and draws close to us:

•    Psalm 51:16–17 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Our offering to God is our neediness and self-despair. Since this is the last thing that we want surrender, our Lord has to nurture neediness within us:

•    2 Corinthians 4:7–11 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

If we want to be like Jesus, we are coerced to trust in Him through our suffering and self-despair. We are forced to walk on the water as He had, terrified with each step. We are required to give up what is most valuable to us, as Abraham was required to sacrifice Isaac and as the Father sacrificially sacrificed His beloved Son.

However, we cannot do this on our own. Even the Apostle Paul required God’s help. Because of the many revelations he had received, pride stood knocking at his door. To drive pride away, God allowed Satan to afflict Paul with a “thorn in the flesh.” It must have been painful or even life-controlling. Therefore, Paul petitioned God repeatedly to take it away. However, God answered:

•    2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Paul would have to accept his weaknesses and afflictions so that the power of God would rest upon Him. We also must do this and even boast about our failures and insecurities, blessings in disguise!

 

DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED, LITTLE ONES

Our failure and disgrace are often a prelude to glory. Before the nourishing rains come, there must be clouds. Peter had clouds of disgrace in his life. He had even been called “Satan” by his Lord. After “assuring” Jesus that He wouldn’t have to be killed:

·       He [Jesus] turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Matthew 16:23)

Perhaps worst of all, after Jesus prophesied that His disciples would all abandon Him at the crucifixion, Peter disagreed and disgraced himself beyond all of the other Apostles:

·       Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered’”… Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” (Matthew 26:31-35)

It was bad enough that Peter had contradicted the Jesus’ prophecy, but he also boasted that he was more faithful than the other Apostles: “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away!”

What conceit!  Such arrogance is an impediment to the purpose of our Lord to build His Church. While humility is a glue that connects, arrogance pushes people away. It boasts that “I am better than you.” While humility enables us to focus on Jesus, arrogance places the focus back upon the self.

Peter had not been trusting in the Lord and in His words. Overriding Jesus’ words, Peter then exalted Himself for a second time “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!”

When we are assured that we can stand and prevail on our own, we are setting ourselves up for a massive fall (1 Cor. 10:12-13). We are trusting in ourselves and not in our Savior.

Peter fell massively, denying His Lord three times, just as Jesus had prophesied:

·       And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. (Matthew 26:75)

However, Peter needed this bitter lesson. Although His failures had plunged him into self-despair, it was a necessary lesson to prepare him for service. Paul had to learn the same lesson:

·       For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. (2 Corinthians 1:8-9)

We all must unlearn self-trust. Without this, we will never be able to trust in the Lord. Without learning to despair in ourselves and our own adequacy, we will never learn about the all-sufficiency of our Lord:

·       Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:4-6)

We are inadequate, self-centered, blind, and esteem the things of man over the things of God. In our arrogance, we like to think that “I got what it takes.” Such confidence must be burned away to leave room for God-confidence, as any metal that must go through the fires of refinement to remove the impurities. Peter had to die to himself before he was able to hear what Jesus had to say.

After Jesus had appeared to His Apostles by the sea of Gallilee, He reminded Peter of his boast that even if the others would abandon Jesus, he, Peter, would never abandon Him:

·       When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these [do]?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” (John 21:15)

This time, Peter didn’t take the bait. He didn’t say, “Yes, I love you more than these do.” However, Jesus pressed on further, reminding Peter of his three instances of betrayal. Three times, He asked Peter “Do you love me?” Reminded of his terrible betrayal, Peter grieved instead of boasting. However, his failure and disgrace had now readied him to receive the Savior’s threefold calling to “Feed my sheep” (John 21:15-18). He had learned something that we all have to continue to learn – that it’s all about our Savior. If He is for us, no one, not even our inadequacies, can be against us (Romans 8:81-32).

It is only in brokenness that growth can take place. For a tree to grow, the new growth must crack its way through the bark, scarring the tree, leaving deep twisted lacerations in the bark. But there is no other way for a tree to grow. There must be tearing and there must be scars.

When we look at the bark up-close, it is rough and contorted, but when we see it from afar, it has a beauty all its own. We too need to see ourselves from afar, through the eyes of our Lord:

·       Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb”… having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. (Revelation 21:9-11)

For now, we cannot see ourselves as “the wife of the Lamb.” We cannot handle such a vision:

·       See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (1 John 3:1-3)

We cannot see ourselves as we are in God’s sight. This is why we must walk in hope according to what He has written to us:

·       For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:24-25)

We need to “see” the unseen. Only by virtue of this kind of embrace of the unseen can we endure. However, we must also “see” His battered Bride in the same way. Our Lord loves His Church. We must do the same.

HATRED, SCRIPTURE, AND CHANGED LIVES

Some say that Christ doesn’t make a difference – that Christians act the same way as others and that Christ doesn’t change lives. However, I know otherwise!

Anger and hatred are hurricanes that have the power to sweep away every defense. They are tyrants that override reason and even self-interest. Yet, I know that hatred is wrong. I even know that it torments its prey, tearing it apart.

I saw the hatred that was consuming me, but I seemed to be powerless against it. Even its “arguments” were persuasive. They felt so right. Hatred placed its own lens over my eyes, and I saw only red.

However, I remembered the Word of God:

•  Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good… Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them… Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:9, 14, 16 -21; ESV)

His Word came upon me with such force and conviction that it drove the hatred entirely away, the bully yelping helplessly as it fled. Instead, I was left rejoicing at the great privilege to love others, to “overcome evil with good.”

No wonder Scripture informs us that loving God is about embracing and obeying His teachings:

•  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. (John 15:10-14)

Keeping His teachings is our cure, our protective shield and the source of blessings. It even rescues us from ourselves:

·       Only be strong and very courageous [Joshua], being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (Joshua 1:7-8)

No wonder that we are instructed to “meditate on it day and night.”

I am a man of many flaws, and they can be deeply troubling. However, I have learned something of even greater significance – that our Lord brings strength out of our ongoing weaknesses, even Paul’s:

• Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this [affliction], that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)

I too have learned to boast in my weaknesses. They continue to humble me, tromping upon my pride, drawing me closer to my Savior through His Word, which ministers so powerfully to me, through His blessed Spirit.

Yes, I continue to battle against my inner demons, and yet I am changed – a new creation! It is also through my weaknesses that I praise Him, all the more gladly and confidently.

Frustration and Inadequacy

Frustration is not simply the result of failing to accomplish a task. It is also a product of our expectations. If we expect that we have what it takes to accomplish a task, we will be frustrated and feel inadequate when we fail. We might also become angry with those who refuse to comply with our plan.

Our expectations also involve others, society, and government. When they fail to meet our expectations, we might also feel helpless, inadequate, overwhelmed, frustrated and angry. However, we do not live in a just world. We live in a world where everyone is pursuing their own interests, and these are often contrary to our own.

How are we to live with these frustrations? Firstly, we have to recognize how limited and small we are. We can barely change ourselves, let alone those around us. In fact, Jesus informed His disciples that “without me, you can do nothing.” Surprisingly, He confessed, “The Son can do nothing by himself” (John 5:19). Paul confessed that, although God had given him a great ministry, he was inadequate:

• Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God. (2 Corinthians 3:5; ESV) 

This understanding didn’t come naturally to Paul. He had to come to a point of self-despair before he could truly trust in God (2 Cor. 1:8-9). This is a lesson I need to relearn a thousand times. The Lord is showing me that I cannot trust in my intellect, teachings, or writings to change anyone. The more I do, the more conflict I experience.

How do we cope with our inadequate lives and this increasingly menacing world? Only by keeping our eyes on our Savior! The Psalmist wisely wrote:

• Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. (Psalm 37:1-7) 

This is not a resignation to failure and evil. Instead, it is a recognition that we need our Lord’s help every step of the way! He alone is our hope!