Chapter 3: 2
Types of frustrations in life

There are many types of frustrations, out of which, for example, are the following:

First: Material frustration
When someone dreams of getting rich quickly of immediate wealth but days pass year after year without that wealth. He finds out that he still has many things to do to get there, he starts to be disappointed.

Maybe you are currently living a very comfortable life, but you are not certain of your future which needs your continuous work with more efforts, to maintain this standard of living. Some thoughts and expressions are much repeated these days that a person cannot save a big amount of money at the bank; he can only have a high standard of living. The truth is that the consuming capitalist economical system which is now prevailing is based on a principle: "work much and spend more” thus looking like you collect inside a pierced bag which leaves you frustrated.

Second: Career frustration
One might find himself working a simple job below his abilities, experience, age and position which makes him frustrated and disappointed. Or maybe he was doing an easy job but now due to the lack of labor opportunities, he finds himself with an exhausting and stressful job, working long shifts to provide a decent life for himself and for his family, in this case he will be frustrated and feels inferior.

You may find that you must studying hard, and even after completing your higher education, you  may find that opportunities to find a job are few and the competition is strong. Even if you succeed to get an opportunity to work you will find that stability at work is not guaranteed and progress in it, is slow and difficult and that the work you are doing will not fulfill your dreams .This makes you more frustrated.

Third: Family frustration
A young man may search for a better job and higher income to be able to get married, but he might not find easily the suitable girl and accordingly his marriage is delayed. And when he does not find the right wife, he gets frustrated.

In the same way a girl could be frustrated when her marriage is delayed, she might not find the right person as marriage opportunities to a believer is sometimes less. The wife, before getting married, believes that marital happiness is ensured but she feels disappointed when she finds out that her dreams are not realized. A couple might feel that the solution to their marital problems is immigration to a new country where life is easier, income is larger, free time is plentiful, and the entertainment is available, but when they immigrate they find out that their  problems are getting harder and the marital happiness is   becoming difficult to attain. And when they look around them, they discover that divorce and separation are widespread even among immigrant, they get frustrated.

Your goal could be to please your family. You work for a better future for your family and for the children but with the passing of time, your relation with them will be negatively affected, for you become busy away from them and they also become distant from you and maybe your image in their eyes will change as they know more than you and have potential better than you… You will get frustrated

Fourth: Phsychological frustration
Sometimes a person believes that unhappiness is related to circumstances and problems around him and also thinks he could be happier   if  things will change like his work , residence and income or when he lives in a clean country without pollution or noises or fanaticism, a country that respects laws and human rights. As a matter of fact, while all circumstances change to the better, he still finds himself unhappy and living with an empty heart.

When you think that you own prosperity means and reasons for happiness, while you are missing happiness itself, feeling of frustration will sneak inside you.

Fifth: Spiritual frustration
Sometimes a believer feels that the weakness of his spiritual condition is caused by the problems he is facing like racism and lack of religious freedom, lack of ability to worship and preach . He believes that he could become spiritually better when he possess freedom of worship and testimony to God without fear where there is no extremism. Circumstances may change but he finds his spiritual life weaker than before as he has no time for a personal retreat and worship of God and has lost the desire in serving the Lord and preaching in his name.

Your frustration could be worse when you see that inside the churches there exist divisions, and the spiritual situation of their believers could be low and fading. You might wait for a revival and awakening in your spiritual life, but when this revival is delayed you become more frustrated.

Dear reader
What is the thing you need, and you are waiting God for?! Do you see it difficult to realize, and you feel frustrated about it?! Come along with your frustration to the Almighty God, He will heal your frustration and will settle your needs.

Even if you feel desperate and weak in faith because of the intensity of your needs and length of the wait:
“Wait for the Lord. Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord" (Psalm 27:14) and God will respond and achieve and fulfill his promise in time “I, the LORD, will hasten it in its time.”(Isaiah 60:22)

Magdy Samuel