Ben Arment says in his book, Church in the Making, “God uses frustration to shape a vision.” His idea is that God actually uses our frustrations in ministry to shape us for a future only He can see clearly.  When it comes to being frustrated I may be an expert. For years I served with passion in the student ministries I led only to be overcome by a sea of frustration after my Sunday morning experience and “staff meeting” where everyone else in the room seemed to be just fine with the weekend. I was not OK. I knew there was a different way. I knew God was birthing something different in my heart, but I also grew tired of being frustrated. I grew weary of trying to fix broken environments and programs. I wondered what was next. Little did I know at the time that God was using all that frustration to show me who I was as a leader. What I had to learn was how to lead in the mist of frustration! I had to learn how to trust God. Many preschool, youth, and children’s pastors out there are frustrated. You are not sure if you can head back into staff meeting again this week. I just want to remind you today that God may be trying to shape a vision in your heart as you face the frustration. You job title, your ministry role, your position on the team does not define the leader God has called you to be. If you are stuck in a cycle of frustration remember…

• Guard your heart // don’t get bitter…make sure you heart and mind are resting in Christ.
• Watch your mouth // make sure you publicly support your leadership even when you are frustrated. Public support leads to private influence. (thanks Andy Stanley!)
• Make it better // work to be part of the solution. If you are frustrated then LEAD…the worse that can happen is you get fired and that may be the best thing that could ever happen!
• Don’t stop dreaming // the future is in God’s hands, not in the hands of your current organization. God wants to use you to advance the Kingdom of God and you won’t be in this place of frustration forever. Never stop learning, questioning, challenging, and dreaming!