Fretting is associated with emotional behaviour, In this state ,a person is in a constant act of being visibly worried, anxious, or upset. In this state a person is in constant state of repeated concern and unease over something. Its the anxiety created over a issue. In Spiritual world Satan takes advantage of this fretting behaviour to make us commit a sin.
We are forced to fret when we are in odd’s with God’s leading us and asking to act against what God wants us to do, have you seen a child asking something when the parent says “No” the child behaviour is to throw tandems to get what it wants, but as adults, its little more complicated to explain. But Paul makes a clear explanation on the roots of fretting.
Galatians 5:17, 'For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
See here, its the contradicting behaviour of self vs Spirit of God resulting in fretting. Lets understand Verse 17 even better
What is the flesh desire ?
Our natural body, from the birth we inhibit these characters from our fore fathers.. Our behaviour is wired to this..
Galatians 5:19-21 'The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. '
What is the Fruits of Spirit ?
This comes from the Holy Spirit to the one, God chooses to give. These are the characters of God
Galatians 5:22-23 'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. '
God’s Promise to the one who walks in Spirit, we see contrary to what’s in Spirit and we fret.
Eg., When some one drives you over in the road, there is a fit of rage starts to come to chase him, do tit for tat, speed up, cut him, shout at him, where as God’s spirit is to be Self-controlled in that moment, but our self says how can I be like that, I look like a fool in world when some one cuts me or honks at me very hard. This behaviour is called Fretting.
There are many examples we can give in each situation where Satan uses the situation to disobey the fruit of sprit and go against that.
What does fret achieve in one person ?
We people in the world are confronted by the spirit with that hatred / Jealousy / fit for rage and selfish act.. Described in Galatians 5:19-21.
We forget we walk in spirit and we fret on their action
The fretting is a deception of satan to woo us to entice to Sin
Patience
Patience is an antidote for fretting, we can overcome this fretting by having patience.
There are three Actions which we can avoid to so that we can over come fretting and overcome us from leading to Sin.
1st Action to Avoid : Being envious
Psalms 37:1 'Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong
Satan instigates us to make us be envious of the worldly behaviours vs the Spirit led behaviour, He entices us to say what we follow is bad and makes us feel ashamed in front of all when there is a fit for rage behaviour or when there is an angry outburst from someone.
Guidance to children of God - Galatians 5:25 'Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ' when you are walking with God, don’t take your eyes from God to look to others and get envied. If we look out we can become envious of the other who do wrong .
Why we should not get proud of their actions ? God’s promise is ,their actions are short like a grass, have you seen a grass green for life. It withers out soon after the sorching sun, its in the same way the evil will wither away and die soon.. Psalms 37:2 it withers soon 'for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.
2nd Action to Do : Wait for God to Act
Psalms 37:7 'Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. '
Many times we see the fellow who does lot of rage behaviours and sinful acts succeed and the one who walks with God is portrayed as looser.
Wait for God to Act, even if they succeed don’t fret - Their success is to test you. How long are you patient and waiting for God or act by your own.
God has a appointed time to act to take revenge on people who acted against you. For each of us the time differs. He will act on his own time no one has the authority or power to question him. One thing is assured, those who wait on the Lord are not put to shame. Psalms 25:3 'No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause. '
When you read thru Numbers 12, there is a stage where Miriam and Aaron oppose Moses. God chose Moses and Aaron to lead the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, but now Aaron is opposing Moses, a simple act of Fretting against God’s spirit. God came as a pillar of a cloud to defend Moses and the word says Numbers 12:9-14 'The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them. When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous —it became as white as snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease, and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.” So Moses cried out to the Lord , “Please, God, heal her!” The Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.” '
Our God is a zealous God to defend his chosen when they are humiliated, he knows what is worse, what is bad and what can be tolerated, so wait for God to act, the actions of God’s wrath cannot match your anger or any other that we do from our self. He is a greater judge, he is righteous
3rd Action to do : Don’t be Angry
Psalms 37:8 'Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.
This success of the evil, infuriates the one who walks by God with a spirit of anger
Don’t commit any Sin when you are angry. Ephesians 4:26 '“In your anger do not sin” : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, '
Its a very hard one to follow, if you fail, come back to God say father I have failed, help me again to fight and not to be angry, try again and again to over come your anger. Our God is a good good God, he will give the goodness we ask without holding back, soon this anger will go away and lead to patience
When we are Patiently waiting for God, God will reward with his Fruit of the Patience
Psalms 37:9-15 'For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming. The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. '
Because we are patient and waiting on the Lord to act, his promise to the blessed who wait on him in Seven ways. (all from Psalms 37:9-15)
Those who are evil will be destroyed
Those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land
A little while, and the wicked will be no more
though you look for them, they will not be found
But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.
The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them
The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken
Actions to take when we fret is to wait on God patiently.
How do you practice this patience and avoid fretting
Pour out your heat before God - This is the emotions we have, our God can understand our emotions, crying, weeping bitterly over the words that impact you, the pain you suffer due to relation issues etc..
Waiting on God is more than just praying
In prayer we essentially present our requests before God and seek his favour for an answer.
But while waiting on God we simply open up and throw up ourselves before the God our Almighty.
Waiting on God begins only after presenting our needs before him in prayer.
Waiting for an answer to prayer, especially for guidance, is often part of the answer.
Lets learn from David with his testimony and teaching as there is no other person who had greater enemies than him and he conquered most of them with his dependence on God. David’s life testimony Psalms 62:1,5,8 'Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. 5. Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. 8. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. '
Waiting is the continual communion with God in spirit. It is just waiting on “God alone”
Immerse yourself with the Scriptures : While waiting immerse yourself with the word of God to strengthen you, Job did that, read thru the word of Job you see how he did that. The word had life, it encourages / strengthens us with the courage to make us wait on him.
We must feed richly on the Word of God during seasons of waiting on God. Psalms 130:5 'I wait for the Lord , my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. '
This is what Jesus did during the forty days he spent in the desert before He began His public ministry.
God had revealed His plan to young Joseph through dreams. But everything that followed in his life was just the opposite. The imprisonment in Egypt on false charges of sexual misbehaviour provided for him an excellent time to wait on God who never fails His Word.
Keep on serving God faithfully : Don’t stop from serving God in that difficult times, continue to serve God.
Waiting on God does not mean we stop working for Him.
Priest Zechariah kept on serving God till his very old age while waiting for an answer to his prayer for a child (Luke 1:5-14).
While going through dry spells in his life and waiting on God, David kept on composing songs for Him which became the Messianic prophecies and promises, like Psalms 69:3 'I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God. '