Everybody hates waiting. Waiting in traffic, at the doctor's office, or even for a text message can make us frustrated. Most frustrations with waiting come from not being able to control situations or something gets in the way of how we think life should be going. The only thing for believers to do in these situations is pray for guidance.
Most millennials have grown up surrounded by a world functioning at warp-speed. In the drive-thru, high-speed streaming, 4G LTE society we’ve found ourselves in, being told to wait by anyone is something we find at best incredibly annoying, and at worst, infuriating. But what if the creator of the universe is telling you to wait?
Most of us would still get mad. We would still throw a temper tantrum, get pissed at God, go through the process of denying that he’s actually telling you to wait, and then try to go about what we wanted to do on our own timetable anyway. I’m so guilty of this.
We often have the mentality that when someone is telling us to wait, they don’t usually have our best interests at heart. We think they just don’t understand, or they want us to fail. But this is God we’re talking about. We have to be careful when rushing God’s timing because we never know what he could be saving us for or protecting us from. I know I could’ve saved myself a lot of pain and heartbreak if I had taken a step back and been patient when Christ was telling me to.
We never really know how long our waiting period will last or sometimes what we are waiting for, but it’s always better than our own plans. According to Psalm 37:3-7 it’s an active waiting. He tells us to
"trust in the Lᴏʀᴅ . . .
delight yourself in the Lᴏʀᴅ . . .
commit your way to the Lᴏʀᴅ . . .
be still before the Lᴏʀᴅ."
This is the character and nature of our faith; we are told to trust Christ. He sees above and beyond when we can’t even see straight ahead some days.
Human nature is to want everything figured out immediately and we don’t like to wait. We want to know that we've picked the right major, the right school, that we are dating the right person, and going to have the right life. Uncertainty is scary to think about sometimes but when you start to get restless, think about all of the trials Christ has seen you through. His timing his perfect. Not our timing but His.
Don’t forget the "be still" part of that verse. Sometimes we get so caught up in wanting an answer that we miss interpret “wait” as “no” or as God not giving us an answer at all. Take time to be silent and really reflect on what Christ is telling you to do. Be patient. He knows what He’s doing.
Spend time in his Word. Christ understands that we find this whole waiting thing so difficult. That’s why He tells us how to handle it over and over again. When you spend time in Christ’s Word, the restlessness that you feel in waiting not only starts to evaporate, but it is a great reminder that Christ understands our struggles and does all things for our ultimate good.
When Christ tells you to wait, trust that he has far better things in store for your life. Be patient.
Verses that help me when I’m in a waiting period and my heart is anxious.
"The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."
-Lamentations 3:25-26
"Patience is a fruit of the Spirit"
-Galatians 5:22)
"A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure."
-Proverbs 16:9
"Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!"
-Habakkuk 2:3 TLB
