Waiting on God

Waiting is something I have never been any good at. Whether it’s waiting for dinner, my birthday or finally going to Disney world (FYI mom and dad, still waiting...) I get incredibly impatient. When I was growing up my mom always used to remind me that ‘patience is a virtue’, and it still bothers me that I find patience pretty difficult. However, the Bible talks a lot about patience and the fruit that comes from a patient believer. The word of God says multiple things to this effect:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, PATIENCE, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”. 
Galatians 5: 22-23

Life for believers of Christ, involves a lot more practice in the art of patience. Why do we have to be more patient than everyone else? Because rather than run ahead with our own desires and dreams of the lives we want, we wait for God to direct us. That does not mean that we sit around, biting our nails, doing nothing until God majestically appears right in front of us and bellows his will for our lives in our ears, but it means that we do not live impulsive, carefree lives. Impulsiveness can often lead to recklessness, and a reckless life is a far cry from the peaceful, purposeful life God wants for us.

Why do we find waiting so hard? Well, I think it is because we desire certainty and stability so much. And whilst those things can be a blessing, they can also be a curse. Look at the example of the rich man in the Bible, who asked Jesus how he could follow him but refused to when it meant he had to give up his riches and face a future filled with uncertainty (Matthew 19). He was so desperate for financial stability and certainty about his future, that he gave up the glorious opportunity to follow and learn from Jesus.

Another reason we find waiting so hard is that we live in a society when we can get so many things we want with just one click of a button. New laptop... delivered in 3 days. New car... will be with you in one week. New camera... well, it’s coming all the way from China, so it’s going to take a while to get to you, like 2 weeks... (Or, another way of looking at it... something from half way around the world can now be delivered to your doorstep in just two weeks!) In this day and age we are so used to getting what we want, when we want it, that we find the concept of patience alien. And the more we have to wait for things, the more frustrated we become.

However, I want you to consider what impatience does to us. It frustrates us, it angers us, it can infuriate us. And, if we’re being honest, are we proud of ourselves when we act like that? Is that who God says we should be? In fact, God says:

“Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger makes you a fool”.

Ecclesiastes 7:9

Being patient in the Lord, can be a challenge for most. Especially when it concerns the things you want and dream of the most. These are things we cannot order over Amazon. Things like love, peace, comfort, direction and wisdom. For these things we need to come to God and ask for them, and sometimes the answer doesn’t arrive within a few seconds, or days or weeks or years. Sometimes we have to be patient, and wait for God to bless us with these things when the time is right.

“Love is PATIENT, love is kind. Love does not envy or boast. It is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on it’s own way. It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. Love never ends”. 
1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Do I think this is easy? Absolutely not. But, do I think we can all practice and increase our patience? Definitely. 



Try asking God for more patience and less impatience. When you feel impatience coming on rebuke it in the name of Jesus. And when you successfully receive more patience, be grateful to God for giving it to you. 

Everything good will come in God’s timing. Seeing as he made the heavens and the earth, all of us and everything in it, then I’m thinking he knows when the right time is for us to be blessed more than we do!

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”.

Romans 8:28













Comments

  1. Nathan9 March 2018 at 12:43

    This is SO GOOD. My favorite post yet. Good encouragement for something I need to work on in my life.

    ReplyDelete

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