Frustration has a Purpose – by Stephanie M. White

For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the One who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. Romans 8:20-21 NIV

Nothing Spiritual dwells in the flesh; it is an absence of God. In understanding this, we might ask, “Why did God leave us with the flesh?” The flesh is frustrating, but our Creator left us with this frustration on purpose. He did so in hope that we would find true freedom as a child of God. The purpose our flesh serves is to lead us to Christ! The flesh should make us feel so helpless that we run to Christ for the Spiritual help we require. When our flesh is not leading us to the Spirit it is not doing the work God designed it to do. Our new nature, the Spirit, is our identity in Christ. It is who we are because of our union with Jesus. This nature cannot sin; it is impossible for the Spiritual nature to produce anything other than Spiritual fruit. If we are producing any Spiritual fruit we must appreciate what is taking place; we are producing Spiritual fruit because we are walking in the Spirit. We cannot produce Spiritual fruit outside of Christ. We do not produce Spiritual fruit because we are “great” Christians or because we love God enough; we produce Spiritual fruit because we know that we require the Word and we abide in it. We fill ourselves with the Word of God and the Word produces Spiritual fruit in our lives. Spirit gives birth to Spirit.

Today’s Christian writer and her family need your prayers this week. She is recovering from a staph infection and a week in the hospital. Please pray for a full recovery. Contact