I've always found the phrase "God's plan is worth the wait" to be quite thought-provoking.
But what does it really mean? Is it really a phrase that is rooted in Scripture, or just something we tell ourselves to feel better after going through a bad situation, a tough relationship, or even just a long day?
When I first became a Christian, before I really plunged into a relationship with Jesus, "God's plan" simply meant the idea of God already knowing where I would be attending college, who I'm going to marry, what kind of career I'll have, or perhaps where I'll be living in 10 years.
I think that is where the problem is most visible. "God's plan" isn't just a reference to those monumental, life-changing moments in our future, such as marriage or kids or where you'll retire, or even when you'll die. God's plan means experiencing plenty of struggles, collapsing bridges that you'll be able to build back up only because God is with you and because He's placed certain people to be with you in your life at that time.
Think about the last time you failed a test, or at least made a bad grade overall, for example. Something as simple as that test, which might seem huge in that moment, really has no real importance in the vast retrospect of life and in the temporary world in which we live. But, it is important because failing that test and being in that situation at the time has brought you to exactly where you are today, and though we all have rough seasons, God promises a better tomorrow, to which you might have to be patient, but not necessarily wait for one day at a time.
It's most certainly not a reason to say "I'll just let life eat away at me right now," since Ephesians 5:15-17 calls us to "make the most of every opportunity." The idea of living out God's plan each and every day rather than waiting for when you finally get to the top of mountain and then considering it "God's plan" is what gets to me.
There are going to be endless challenges, stresses, rough patches, brokenness, disappointment and of course much more, but what you can't forget is that each and every one of those are still a part of His plan. Each and every breath you take, every moment that you're on this Earth, you are fulfilling the exact plan He has and has had for you.
Of course, prayer and guidance (see James 1:5) are what allows you to make decisions in freedom (knowing God's got your back) and tackle significant (or even insignificant) challenges, but after you come to a conclusion or take action, you can take comfort in the fact that God already had that planned for you in the first place.
So next time you ponder "God's plan is worth the wait," just know that you can already have hope in the fact that you are living out His plan each and every second. Though you may be in a phase in your life where you feel like the countless, droning days are all blurred together, the fact that you're fulfilling God's plan for your life with each of them, no matter the day or the event, is so exciting and something we simply can't take for granted.
"The Lord is not slow to keep His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." -2 Peter 3:9
