MONDAY MANNA 26 July 2010 PDF   Subscribe   Monday Manna Archives

Monday Manna 26 July 2010

LITTLE FRUSTRATIONS CAN LEAD TO BIG PROBLEMS
By: Rick Warren

Many times I have been amazed to witness how minor frustrations in the workplace can mount up into one big, bad attitude by the time you leave for home. As wise King Solomon of Israel wrote thousands of years ago, “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyard” (Song of Songs 2:15).

Each workplace is its own unique problems, the issues that can arise to ruin even the most pleasant and peaceful day. But I have learned the frustrations that we all experience in the business and professional world typically come in three varieties:

INTERRUPTIONS: These come in the form of unexpected visitors – or phone calls such as the one I received while typing this particular sentence! These interruptions have an uncanny way of showing up whenever we have a deadline to meet, or some other important matter that requires our time. Even the most thorough preparations cannot keep our best plans from being interrupted.         
 
INCONVENIENCES: Interruptions usually come in the form of people, but inconveniences are usually situations involving things – often tools and modern “conveniences” that put us into a tailspin when they fail to function properly. For instance, the copy machine breaks down and you (or someone else) must take the time to get it operating properly. Traffic jams up, leaving you sitting still on the roadway rather than arriving for appointment on time. Or you cannot find an important document for a presentation.

IRRITATIONS: These typically are delays of various kinds: For instance, unreliable people who fail to keep commitments; playing “telephone tag” with someone you need to talk with, exchanging messages but never succeeding in making direct contact; contracting a minor illness that leaves you feeling below par; or obnoxious clients that fail to appreciate all you are trying to do for them.

Whether you like it or not, interruptions, inconveniences and irritations are all facts of life. No matter how hard you try, you cannot eliminate these. I guarantee you will encounter all three types of frustration this week. However, even though you cannot avoid them, you can learn to keep them from causing you unnecessary stress. What is the secret for managing frustrations?

- Do not resist them.  Accept frustrations, but do not overreact or explode in anger.
- Do not resent them. Do not intensify the frustration by internalizing your anger.
- Do not resign to them. Refuse to indulge in self-pity simply because of an unexpected obstacle.
- Reduce them. Treat the frustration as significant, but put it into proper perspective. Regard it simply as a minor setback, a part of living, rather than as a major calamity.

The Bible teaches that one of the byproducts of wisdom is patience. We need to view our circumstances from God's perspective. When I am in tune with God, I remember He has everything under control, even though I do not. As Galatians 5:22 tells us, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience….”

© 2010, Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved. Adapted from a column by Dr. Rick Warren, the author of numerous books, including the highly acclaimed, The Purpose-Drive Life, which has been translated into many languages and sold throughout the world. It affirms the importance of having a carefully considered, clearly expressed purpose to guide everyday life. It has been named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th Century. He also has written The Purpose-Driven Church and The Purpose of Christmas.

Reflection/Discussion Questions

1.What are the kinds of frustrations that you encounter in a typical work day? How do you respond when they occur?

2.Dr. Warren classifies most workplace frustrations as interruptions, inconveniences and irritations. Are there any useful ways you have discovered for avoiding them – or at least keeping them to a minimum? Explain your answer.

3.He offers four suggestions for managing frustrations. Which of them seems most significant or meaningful for you?

4.When you think about the frustrations you often must deal with, does it help you to believe that in spite of everything, God is in control? Why or why not?

NOTE: If you have a Bible, consider these other passages that relate to this topic:

Proverbs 15:21, 16:32, 17:27; Romans 5:3; Philippians 4:6-8; James 1:2-5; 1 Peter 5:7