Worth the Wait
Are you impatient? I am. It’s the one thing I constantly have to ask God for. Patience. If there’s one thing that I have learned over the years, it’s that rushing could lead to missing God’s plan. I have realized that my resistance to waiting and delays can sometimes keep me from hearing God’s voice or receiving His best. We serve an on-time God. If I ever find myself feeling rushed to make a decision or I’m in such a hurry that I have no peace, then it is almost always an indication that I am not hearing from God in those situations. The detours and reroutes have helped me come to grips with the fact that if I will wait patiently, God will always give me the clarity I need.
When I look back on all the moments where I felt the most lost, confused or far from God, there is always one common theme I keep going back to: my lack of patience. Every single time I try to control my life and everything in it, I end up feeling exhausted and asking myself, “How did I get here?” When we take our eyes off the Lord and try to make our own plans, we risk completely missing out on His greater plan. But when we are focused on Him, fully surrendering our hearts, our plans, our time, etc., there is so much more that we can accomplish. Matthew 19:26 says, “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” Praise God we don’t have to do it on our own, right?!
Learning to be patient is difficult. Especially when instant gratification is so easily accessible these days. We oftentimes think to ourselves, “Why wait for that when I can have this right now?” Whether it’s a relationship or a job, or even settling for your second favorite sneaker in the store because you would have to wait and order your first favorite. Why is it so easy to settle for less than what we know is best? Why is it so easy to take things into our own hands because we’re tired of waiting? I promise that the wait is worth it. Being patient is hard, don’t get me wrong. But when you find that right spouse, land your dream job, or whatever it may be that you’ve been waiting for, you will be so thankful for that wait because the blessing will be far greater than you can ever imagine.
When I’m feeling impatient and struggling to trust in the Lord’s timing, I remind myself of these 2 verses in the bible. 2 Chronicles 15:7 says, “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Repeating those over and over to myself always brings me hope and encouragement. To know and trust that, even though this situation you’re in may be extremely tough and you just want to quit or rush out of it, the Lord always has been and always will be faithful. He will always provide. The blessings WILL come. We don’t always see the bigger picture that God does. But in my opinion, I think that’s a good thing. It leaves room for us to trust the Lord and surrender, saying “I cannot and will not do this my way. Only your way, God.”
Trust the Lord. Trust the wait. In the waiting is where we grow. It’s where we are sanctified. It’s where we learn to look more like Jesus. Let the Lord move in you! I promise, it’s worth it.
Challenges:
Slow down. Something that has really helped me is finding things in my day to day life that physically make me slow down: getting in the slow lane on the highway, choosing the long line at the grocery store, spending time in the car praying instead of listening to music. All of these things are ways that I can really slow down and focus on the Lord instead of the busyness of my day!
Pray for patience. I know this seems really simple but there is so much power in prayer and Matthew 7:7 tells us, “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Seek counsel from those around you. When you are feeling stressed and rushed, ask those around you to keep you accountable, asking you questions that will refocus your mindset. Also, ask them to lift you up in prayer.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for today! You are so gracious and kind. You equip us with everything we need to survive each day. I pray for each person reading this, that we would all take a step back and reset our minds. That our focus would be on you, and not the things of this world. I pray for patience. That we would trust that your plan is greater than ours, and we would surrender our busy lives and schedules to you, no matter how hard it may seem. We trust you and know that you want the best for us. Help us to walk in a manner worthy of you, God. We love you so much. It’s in Jesus’ name! Amen!