Why We Must Wait
- Matthew Smith
- Oct 19, 2017
- 6 min read
What do you do when you are told to wait? Think about past experiences where you had to wait. How did you feel? Were you impatient? What did you do with your time when you had to wait? It is important to understand that we live in an instantaneous culture and society where waiting is uncomfortable, unbearable, and not valued. There are various definitions that focus on the word “wait”. Growing up especially between the ages of 18 and 25 I agreed with the following definition of “wait” from a dictionary source: “To remain temporarily neglected, unattended to, or postponed”. Conversely, this year I was given a new perspective on the word “wait” that coincides with the following definitions: “To remain or rest in expectation; to remain or be in readiness”. I have learned that waiting is vital and necessary for God’s purpose in our lives.
Growing up in church, I would often hear people say that they are patiently waiting on God but do we truly mean this statement? Will we wait when we feel that we are not in control? Will we wait on the things that God has for us according to his timing and not ours? These questions are essential to ponder in our wait. Waiting is uncomfortable, for it is through this process that change takes place and is stimulated. Being stretched in the wait is intentional.
TD Jakes provided a sermon on the necessity of experiences. He made the following statement, “God will put you on hold so you will have an experience...You have a certain number of experiences to prepare you for the next level.” In addition, TD Jakes provided insight on the waiting process, “There are things you learn in the process by climbing up to a place instead of being zapped to a place...Process prepares you with the power you need to hold your ground.” Our waiting period encompasses rerouting for God’s plan to be revealed, reconciliation with the past, redemption for us to remain present, and restoration in the future.
I was in a service in Baltimore a few weeks ago to see a famous preacher from Chicago. Upon arrival it was announced that the venue where the event would take place was filled to capacity. My friends and I decided to stand and wait outside for any seating to open up in the venue. We waited for about 15 minutes and there was a group of young men who waited behind us. One of the men spoke with an usher and decided to go into the venue and wait by the wall. I started to grow restless and frustrated while I still waited outside the venue. In addition, it felt like none of the church members were making an effort to accommodate the crowd that waited outside the venue. I asked God that I needed him to work it out where my friends and I could find seats. My patience grew slim as each minute passed. We even saw the famous preacher from Chicago walk pass us and go into the venue. About 5 minutes later the host pastor came outside the venue and told us to follow her. We followed her inside the venue and she had us sit in one of the front rows. Meanwhile, the man who waited by the wall never received a seat. God gave me revelation from this experience: There will be times in life where waiting seems unwarranted, pointless, and frustrating. Furthermore, there may be times where others who face similar situations as you stop waiting. It is important to remember that their actions should not cause you to move or react. God is saying “wait on me and I’ll take care of things behind the scenes; I’ll position you to a place of abundance and favor...just trust me”. We cannot move based on our emotions or the temporary conditions of a difficult situation. Our actions of stillness reveal to God that we don’t mind waiting. God’s reward is worth the wait but we must follow his instruction. There is a blessing in being obedient and patient.
How many times have we heard “patience is a virtue”? I struggled to understand this saying. I recently came across an awesome article that transformed my thinking titled “The Virtue of Patience”: “to be patient is to endure discomfort without complaint. This calls into play some other virtues, specifically, self-control, humility, and generosity. That is, patience is not a fundamental virtue so much as a complex of other virtues.” The article described the example of patience that Jesus set from his interactions with his disciples.
My big sister preached a message a few weeks ago and emphasized the bible verse Romans 5:3-4: “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope”. In her message she stated that the trials and tribulations we face were meant to build us. We must believe God and have hope that there is purpose to our suffering. He’s perfecting and preparing us in this waiting period. God is not going to throw us in a situation we aren’t ready for, he loves us too much to let us fail. What may be perceived as a failure is only a stepping stone or what one might call “a building block”.
The daily devotion (Our Daily Bread) referenced the book of Job: The book of Job asks the perennial question, “Why do the righteous suffer?” Job’s ordeals test his devotion to his Redeemer and Provider. Clearly the book shows how God uses suffering to strengthen believers’ faith and refine their character. Job declares, “But [God] knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). The theme of the day for the devotion was “God uses suffering to strengthen our faith”.
Always remember that your delay is not a denial. I heard a young preacher once say, “God will perfect you in the process of waiting.” This year, I decided I was going to be more intentional in my walk with God. I decided to trust him wholeheartedly in all areas of my life. This included relationships; I was tired of heartbreak, guilt, and pain. To stay motivated I read the book titled “The Wait”. DeVon Franklin and Meaghan Good offered sound advice on the process of waiting, “This practice may be a matter of finding the person with whom God wants you to do great things, but it’s core is about personal evolution. It’s about being at peace with who you were, who you are, and who you’re becoming.” This book helped me understand that in the wait God is molding and shaping us to become who he called us to be. In addition, God’s plan involves sending a partner into our lives who can hold, assist, and compliment the weight of our purpose. This special individual will demonstrate unconditional love that mirrors the love of Christ. God has truly revealed himself in my life and has made up for lost time because I decided to trust and wait on him.
I was at a seminar a few weeks ago and the facilitator brought up an important lesson on waiting. He called on a young lady from the audience to come to the front of the room where he stood. He asked her to take the cell phone that he had in his hand by faith. The young lady would try to physically take the cell phone out of his hand but it was a failed attempt. The facilitator resisted and kept repeating, “take this cell phone by faith”. After multiple attempts the young lady stopped reaching for the phone and stated “I got it”. She demonstrated a core principle: envision the thing you are waiting on God for and claim in your mind that you already have it. Your mindset is a primary function in the process of waiting. In contrast, we often possess a mindset of lack because we don’t see, feel, or currently have what we are waiting on. But always remember you have to “faith it til you make it”; take what you are waiting for in your mind and believe that you already have it. Manifestation will happen in due time, it is your job to position yourself to receive what God has for your life.
One of my spiritual leaders brought up an important point, “there may be times where you don’t hear God’s voice while you wait”. In spite of this, can you still trust God when you don’t hear his voice? It is during these moments where we must rely on his word. I was scrolling through my notes and found 2 Corinthians 4:17, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory”. The New Life Version provides a better understanding of this bible verse, “The little troubles we suffer now for a short time are making us ready for the great things God is going to give us forever”. Be willing to be used by God and work in your waiting period, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). “Waiting is a gift for you to know more about Christ”.
God has a plan, trust him in the wait.
-CHRONYBE
Resources:
TD Jakes - REROUTING
Dr. Matthew Stevenson - Stay There
Our Daily Bread - Sweet and Sour
Comentários