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Frustrated About Personal and Societal Problems?By Ed Delph November 5, 2018![]() Now, there's a story for you. Some will laugh, and some will cry depending on whether they were the player or the audience. Dr. James Comer of Yale Medical School observes, "We have a sense the world's closing in on us, that there are too many people around, and that we're getting ripped off. We feel powerless about our problems and we explode in frustration." Sound familiar? Currently many things seem, well, out of control. It feels like we are on a never-ending emotional roller coaster ride of elections, the economy, problems in relationships, decreasing confidence, political polarization, violence, and increased family needs and concerns. Things are changing, and things are changing fast. No one really knows where all of this is going. We are losing our trust in anyone and anything. With all of this going on we can lose the mental and emotional ability to process what is going on around us and get frustrated or angry, start to hate, throw up our hands, then check out or act out. Maybe God is trying to say something to us in these troubling, frustrating times. Maybe God wants to show His power to you personally in your problem as a person or in our country’s problems. Here’s the truth and it’s not fake news. Whether we like it or not, God is still in control. Just ask Job. He was guy in the Bible who invented Murphy's law. I think he may have invented the roller coaster too. Job lost it all and but got it all back in the end. Maybe this is the time that God has been waiting for to get our attention to show us our need of a Source and a Resource that is higher than ourselves. He has been knocking at our door but in good times, we tend to ignore that knock. I guarantee you that God would rather not have to use Plan "B" to get our attention, but if Plan "A" doesn't work, what is a benevolent God left to do? Allophones Karr said, "Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns. I am thankful that thorns have roses." Whatever you do, don't quit in frustrating times. Adjust, rethink, retool, explore different ways, examine yourself, and grow. Every person, every company, every country goes through good and bad times. When in tough times, we must be careful how we talk to ourselves because we are listening. Jesus calmed storms on the outside of people and He calms storms on the inside of people too. Here's some ancient wisdom from the Bible you can depend on in these frustrating or angry times. No, ifs, ands, or buts about it...it's true and it works. "Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. What a gift life is to those who stay on course! You've heard of Job's staying power, and you know how God brought it all together at the end. That's because God cares, cares right down to the last detail." James 5:10,11. Ed Delph November 5, 2018 CCC
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Ed Delph is a leader in church-community connections. Visit Ed Delph's website at www.nationstrategy.com
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