We can set about our way and therefore get what we want. We think we know better and can go about life dictating our relationships, situations, and thus circumstances. We rush because we are afraid. We have the insatiable appetite to control and get our reward before the time it is due. We fill our spaces with people and things to such an extent we are unable to see clearly. Our vision is cluttered and we lose sight of how to discern that which is in front of us. Waiting becomes confusing and doesn’t make sense to us. It’s like the still of silence. We can’t stand it so we have to break the quietness and fill it with empty chatter.
Example of waiting wrongly:
- Abraham and Sarah: they waited wrongly initially for the Lord’s timing to fill Sarah’s womb, because they rushed ahead by other means.
Example of waiting well:
- Ruth: she waited well with Naomi then received Boaz as her husband which led to her being grafted into the lineage of Christ.
Characteristics of waiting-well:
- God opens the doors so nothing is forced. Don’t force or make things happen. Respond as the situation necessitates so that the door will open easily and smoothly, and not forced or rushed. The difference will more likely indicate whether God’s will is at work or not.
- Don’t push the moments but wait appropriately for the right moment. Do not try to control or push situations with words or actions. Rather, allow the situation to unfold as it is meant to be. It surely will in time.
- Keep the situation loosely held until such time God reveals the situation more. Trust God in His providence and sovereignty. If you are waiting for a relationship to lead to marriage then have the long-term in mind. Such an important decision means you can afford to wait. Wait for each other, and take time to get to know each other. Enjoy each other’s company and grow together. In time all things will reveal the truth if you remain steadfast and prayerfully before the Lord.
Questions to ask yourself in a season of waiting:
- Are you “ready-ed” and in a situation where you are as prepared as you can be?
- Is your life in order so that you can welcome what you are waiting for rather than delay it?
- Is your history cleaned up? Are there things in your life that will deter what you’re waiting for? In other words, is your life currently free from the past and open to the future?
- Have you allowed your character to be changed by God?
- Have you worked on improving yourself rather than looking for something or someone else to improve you?
- Do you have “old pics and old ways?” What are your surroundings saying to others about you? These are clues to your past and present, and your future. So if you’re serious with someone you are considering a relationship with should they believe you? The risk is that you may lose the one you’ve been waiting for. Waiting the second time around is harder and usually longer than the first time around.
Have you chosen to do what is right in your own eyes, figuring out life the way you see it? Or do you wait for the Father by being obedient to the small daily tasks in life, following His Word rather than your own emotions and temptations?
Beloved ones, what is it you’re waiting for? Waiting comes with a price. Not all who wait are willing to pay. While waiting may mean different things to different people, waiting is a measure of time. Time takes waiting and waiting takes time.
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Photo credit by the author. Location: overlooking the bay from the Mondrian South Beach Hotel, Miami, FL
Copyright 2013 by The Word in Motion
The Word in Motion 