FAITH, FAVOR, AND FRUSTRATION

"Many Christians today want a faith that brings favor without frustration." This is something very close to what I heard a preacher say this week. He attributed it to Dietrich Bonhoeffer; but, I couldn't remember this quote from my reading of Bonhoeffer, nor could I find it in a search of the author's writings. Perhaps, it is a summation of something Bonhoeffer taught. Be all that as it may, I believe it is a correct observation. Today, an aberrant Gospel is preached that, if one has the right kind of faith, God will respond with a favor that precludes anything negative, bad, hurtful-anything frustrating-from happening in that person's life. In other words, favor without frustration. The truth is God's favor will bring frustration. I am using "frustration" with a simple meaning of being upset because things don't seem to be working out the way one desires, thought, anticipated, expected. I hear this often today: "Pastor, I thought when I got saved that things would get better in my life. Things are getting worse." Then these disillusioned proceed to share with me their frustration. "My husband won't get saved and is fighting me at home." Or, "I lost my job." Or, "I continue to struggle with discouragement."--all legitimate concerns. Instead of thinking, that God's favor must not be working because frustration has set in, one could look at the frustration as proof that he has received God's favor. Simply put, God's favor is going to result in Satan's disfavor.Instead of God's favor preventing frustration in our lives, God's favor often precipitates frustration. Joseph found that out. His father's favor resulted in his brothers' attack and led to frustration--a pit, sale as a slave, lies told about him, a prison sentence, and being forgotten by Pharaoh's butler. Ultimately, frustration isn't the reason to abandon faith. It is the reason we need it. Life is frustrating without faith. Life is frustrating with faith. However, faith informs us that however frustrating life is, God has a plan. God is in control. God is at work. However frustrating life has become, God is working something for our good. We will overcome. We will be triumphant. We will see a wonderful conclusion to the matter. Again, think of Joseph. As frustrating as life must have been, look where he ended up-second in command of all of Egypt with power and wealth and esteemed reputation and with the tables turned on his betraying brothers. Even without knowing what God has in spite of, through, by means of, and on the other side of our frustrating circumstances, regardless that God's favor often leads to frustration, it should be enough that we have His favor. We need not be frustrated with our faith-maybe because of it, but never with it.