Frustration – A Great Deceiver

People have become frustrated by what appears to be an uncaring and callous expression of faith that has replaced a living and loving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Posted on

Frustration is moving across the landscape of the Church. It is an emotion we feel when we become annoyed or upset with something we are unable to change. The frustration I am talking about is the perceived dysfunction of the Church and with people who claim to represent the Lord but have done a miserable job.

People have become frustrated by what appears to be an uncaring and callous expression of faith that has replaced a living and loving relationship with Jesus Christ. Through the door of that frustration have marched best-selling authors, beloved talk show hosts, and prophets of culture who write and speak falsehoods about Jesus and His Kingdom. These offerings can assuage the frustration of people by offering solutions that might feel good but are not aligned with the truth of Scripture. As a result, those offerings of error will soothe their tickled ears leading them down a path of increasing deception until they become lost in their unbelief.

Frustration is not solely a human emotion. It is a spirit on a mission to dismantle the faith of those who did not give their frustration to the Lord for closer examination. Those who offer their frustration to the Lord will eventually be led to the truth. Those who allow their frustration to lead them without a deeper inquiry of what is happening will eventually have the truth they once possessed replaced with what appears to be rational forms of deception that have passed the test of cultural acceptance.

John wrote, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world” (I John 3:1)

The word “test” describes a process of determining the source or substance of something. This is not about testing our visible and visceral response of frustration prompted by the failure of fellow believers or institutions of faith they represent. It is the testing of the spirit empowering our emotions whose ultimate desire is to turn us away from established truth and doctrine to embrace error that is palatable to our unresolved frustrations.

 

 

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Garris Elkins

Featured Image by David Mark from Pixabay

The views and opinions expressed by Kingdom Winds Collective Members, authors, and contributors are their own and do not represent the views of Kingdom Winds LLC.

About the Author

Garris Elkins is a Kingdom Winds Contributor. He and his wife, Jan, serve the global Church through writing, speaking, and mentoring. They live in southern Oregon, tucked away in the foothills of the Rogue Valley. Their shared desire is to have each person learn how to hear the heart of God and become a transforming voice in their culture.