The term "fretful" is often associated with feelings of worry, anxiety, or irritation. In a biblical context, being fretful can be seen as a lack of trust in God's sovereignty and provision. The Bible frequently addresses the human tendency to become anxious or worried, urging believers to place their trust in God rather than succumbing to fretfulness.

Biblical References:

1. Psalm 37:1-8 : This passage provides a direct admonition against fretting. "Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong. For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants" (Psalm 37:1-2). The psalmist encourages believers to trust in the Lord and do good, promising that those who delight in the Lord will receive the desires of their hearts. Verse 8 specifically advises, "Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; do not fret—it can only bring harm."

2. Philippians 4:6-7 : The Apostle Paul addresses anxiety, a close relative of fretfulness, by instructing believers, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." This passage highlights the importance of prayer and thanksgiving as antidotes to fretfulness.

3. Matthew 6:25-34 : In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks directly to the issue of worry, which is akin to being fretful. He says, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?" (Matthew 6:25). Jesus emphasizes God's provision for His creation and encourages His followers to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Theological Insights:

From a theological perspective, fretfulness can be seen as a manifestation of a lack of faith or trust in God's plan and timing. The Bible consistently calls believers to a life of faith, where trust in God's character and promises takes precedence over the natural inclination to worry or become anxious. Fretfulness is often contrasted with the peace that comes from a deep, abiding trust in God.

Practical Application:

Believers are encouraged to combat fretfulness by cultivating a life of prayer, thanksgiving, and trust in God's promises. Engaging with Scripture, meditating on God's faithfulness, and participating in a community of faith can help individuals overcome tendencies toward anxiety and worry. By focusing on God's sovereignty and goodness, Christians can find peace and rest, even amidst life's uncertainties and challenges.(a.) Anxious; ill-humored; peevish; in a state of vexation; as, a fretful temper.

Pardon and Peace
... ashamed of himself, not about one great fault, but about many little faults; and
who wants to be cleansed from them; who is tempted to be fretful, anxious, out ...
/.../kingsley/town and country sermons/sermon xxix pardon and peace.htm

Are You Prepared to Die?
... swelling of Jordan? The same rebuke might be applied to us when we get
fretful under the little troubles of life. You have losses ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 11 1865/are you prepared to die.htm

"Love that Passeth Knowledge. "
... Because your child is fretful, or has committed some act of disobedience, you
do not cast him out as though he did not belong to you! No! ...
/.../moody/the way to god and how to find it/chapter i love that passeth.htm

The Second Season
... Jonah was a good man, and yet how fretful was his heart under affliction! Job was
the mirror of patience, yet how was his heart discomposed by trouble! ...
//christianbookshelf.org/flavel/on keeping the heart/ii the second season.htm

The Next Season
... is calm and submissive under his afflictions, probably he derives support and comfort
in this way; but he who is discomposed, impatient, or fretful, shows that ...
//christianbookshelf.org/flavel/on keeping the heart/viii the next season.htm

The Third Word
... In the midst of torturing physical pain, in the extreme form of that experience,
of which the slightest degree makes us fretful, irritable, self-absorbed, our ...
//christianbookshelf.org/beibitz/gloria crucis/iv the third word.htm

"Thou Art Now the Blessed of the Lord. "
... we trust that you will deal kindly with us, and overlook our hard usage; for, in
spite of all, God has so blessed you that you need not be fretful and pettish ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 38 1892/thou art now the blessed.htm

Providence
... the plain meaning of the word in our modern English, and that our Lord is not telling
us to be imprudent or idle, but not to be anxious and fretful about the ...
/.../kingsley/sermons for the times/sermon xiii providence.htm

The Glory of the Cross
... Let us go on, then, to find out more of his likeness. Would he be stern, or would
he be tender? Would he be patient, or would he be fretful? ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/the good news of god/sermon ii the glory of.htm

The Beautiful Secret.
... From thy home exclude all worry, Fretful cares, and sad'ning gloom; But
God's sunshine bid a welcome, Let it shine in ev'ry room. ...
/.../byrum/the value of a praying mother/chapter xii the beautiful secret.htm

Fretful (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Anxious; ill-humored; peevish; in a state of vexation;
as, a fretful temper. Multi-Version Concordance Fretful (1 Occurrence). ...
/f/fretful.htm - 6k

Fret (9 Occurrences)
... or sunken spot in a garment affected by a kind of leprosy," the Revised Version
(British and American) "it is a fret." Revised Version has "fretful" for "angry ...
/f/fret.htm - 13k

Worry (14 Occurrences)
... 4. (vi) To feel or express undue care and anxiety; to manifest disquietude or pain;
to be fretful; to chafe; as, the child worries; the horse worries. ...
/w/worry.htm - 10k

Impatient (7 Occurrences)
... 1. (a.) Not patient; not bearing with composure; intolerant; uneasy; fretful; restless,
because of pain, delay, or opposition; eager for change, or for ...
/i/impatient.htm - 8k

Ill-tempered (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (a.) Of bad temper; morose; crabbed; sour; peevish;
fretful; quarrelsome. 2. (a.) Unhealthy; ill-conditioned. ...
/i/ill-tempered.htm - 6k

Fretted (1 Occurrence)

/f/fretted.htm - 7k

Fretting (6 Occurrences)
... or sunken spot in a garment affected by a kind of leprosy," the Revised Version
(British and American) "it is a fret." Revised Version has "fretful" for "angry ...
/f/fretting.htm - 10k

Temper (14 Occurrences)
... Disposition of mind; the constitution of the mind, particularly with regard to the
passions and affections; as, a calm temper; a hasty temper; a fretful temper ...
/t/temper.htm - 13k

Contentious (13 Occurrences)
... (WEB JPS ASV DBY NAS RSV). Proverbs 21:19 It is better to dwell in a desert land,
than with a contentious and fretful woman. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV). ...
/c/contentious.htm - 10k

Cankered (1 Occurrence)
... 2. (a.) Affected with canker; as, a cankered mouth. 3. (a.) Affected mentally or
morally as with canker; sore, envenomed; malignant; fretful; ill-natured. Int. ...
/c/cankered.htm - 7k

Fretful: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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