Athena C. Shack's Blog, page 2
September 24, 2017
A Slow Rush
February 16, 2017
The Burden of the Crown
January 9, 2017
Re-Routing in 2017
December 3, 2016
The Real Housewives of the Kingdom
February 5, 2016
Fighting Frustration
Have you ever been working on something that you know God wants you to do or go into a particular direction and you keep getting hit with setbacks? Have you ever been in a place in your life where things have changed, life should be better but it’s getting harder? Ever look around and see people being blessed with the very thing you have been praying for? The frustrating part is that you know that you are in God’s will. You know you have been faithful. You know that you are taking the right steps.
However, with every crucial step there is a hindrance to your progress. You take one step – bam! It knocks you off balance, but you keep going. You take another step – bam! You get up and you keep going. You take another step — BAM! Now, you are frustrated because these obstacles are slowing you down. You become discouraged and begin to question yourself, the plan, your life, the ministry, the vision or even the Visionary – God.
Fifteen years ago, I faced a major struggle with infertility. I was young, mid twenties, newly married and couldn’t get pregnant for years. I did all the right things. Lived the way God wanted me to live but yet I couldn’t bring forth life. Month after month, year after year, disappointment after disappointment and utterly frustrated. Of course, it seemed like everybody I knew with a uterus was popping out babies let and right. What seemed easy for everyone else was impossible for me. While I maintained my faith, I rejoiced with every pregnancy, but my womb remained empty. I knew God promised a child, but I had to wait for it and fight through all the negative pregnancy tests, multiple miscarriages and an increasing secret shame.
It is frustrating when you have done all that you know to do and your situation doesn’t change. It is frustrating to know that you have prayed constantly and it hasn’t yielded the results you want. It is frustrating to know that with all the faith that you have you still feel helpless in your situation. It’s frustrating. It’s discouraging. It’s just downright miserable and even makes you feel desperate. Desperation leads to bad decisions. Frustration can lead to discouragement. Discouragement can chip away at your hope. Hope is the bloodline to our faith. We need hope to survive. I want to offer a few words of encouragement to scale or knock down walls of frustration:
1. Don’t be surprised by the darts.

It is not a strange thing that you are being faced with these obstacles. Actually, it’s a God thing. Obstacles are a part of the infrastructure of your destiny. These obstacles, trials or darts are designed to produce you in. God is making you while bringing you to your expected end. These darts of fire are strategically placed to build up your endurance and your perseverance. The testing of your faith produces perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:3-4. There are some things you need to gain today, so that you can produce tomorrow. It’s not strange that God wants to produce you in, so don’t be surprised by the methods, darts or obstacles that will produce it.
2. The victory is not always at the finish line.
Everybody can celebrate the victory of making it to the finish line. However, when you were made in the process you discover HOW you made it and are able to help others with their journey. That’s how God gets the glory from your story. Everybody goes through something to get to their end. Never compare someone’s finish line with your 20 yard line. Just keep pressing forward in spite of the obstacles, setbacks, and frustration. Let your frustration fuel you to press even harder to your purpose. Let it fuel your determination to win. God has graced you to win. With each step you take, it is a grace step.
Every time you overcome an obstacle that is another victory. Celebrate! The enemy couldn’t stop you. Frustration couldn’t detour you. You are victorious even if you haven’t reached your goal yet. God is going to get the glory when you make it. However, God also wants to get the glory while you are still making it. God expects you to get frustrated, but not stay frustrated. God expects you to fall, but to get back up. God expects you to get tired, but never give up. Victory is not always at the finish line.
3. Don’t stop. Get it! Get it!
Don’t laugh, but in college my friends and I cheered for our basketball team one school year. One of our rallying cries was “Don’t stop. Get it! Get it!” While I hung up my real pom-poms years ago, I still have a cheerleader in me encouraging you to not stop pushing, but to get everything that God has promised you. The promises of God are unfailing and they belong to you. God’s plan is to prosper you and to bring you to your expected end…but the condition is that you don’t give up.
Finally, stop looking at the clock expecting your blessing. God doesn’t bless according to a Timex or Rolex. Look for God to reveal to you His plan so you know what to expect and won’t get frustrated in His timing. I wrote in my book, Grace for the Journey, an entire chapter about understanding the season that you are in. When God reveals to you what kind of season you’re in God will also reveal strategy for winning in that season. We are all in different seasons, different places but we all have one thing in common to succeed and that is not giving up. There is a blessing waiting for you on the other side of your frustration. Don’t stop! Get it Get it!
When you are feeling frustrated with how things are going with your life, don’t give up. Fight it with faith, prayer and perseverance. Victory is yours. The promises of God are yours. After six years of infertility and three miscarriages today I look into the eyes of my three children and I see faith, hope and love. What will you see after you fight through your frustration?