Are you waiting?
Waiting when you know what will happen
You know you will eventually get to the front of the line (see I want it NOW!).
or
You know that what the Lord promised will happen, definitely, for sure, in the Lord’s timing. That is waiting in faith based on certainty.
Waiting with uncertainty
Waiting when you don’t know what is going to happen is different. You might be waiting for the results of the bar exam, or the medical licensing exam. You might be waiting to hear about your son or daughter serving in a risky part of the world. You might be waiting for the results of a significant medical test. You don’t know what is coming. Your future will be very different depending on the outcome.
What do you do?
1. “Wait” is not a stop sign.
While what is going to happen will affect your life, it doesn’t have to affect your life today.
Today counts. We are to redeem the time. Don’t spend the time waiting in mind-numbing activities. Conventional “wisdom” says to distract yourself. But checking Facebook 54 times in a morning is different from a conversation with your spouse, brother or sister. I’m not saying Facebook is bad, but spending time doing things that disconnect you from reality is not the best choice.
Today is all we have. Following Christ happens in real time. Be intentional about how your use your time. Do today what needs to be done today. This isn’t distraction, this is consistently following the Lord. It is taking up your cross today.
Be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless (2 Peter 3:14).
God uses the waiting times for good in our lives.
Keep on keeping on.
The journey is important. Ask the right questions:
What are joys and opportunities right now?
What can/should I learn right now?
What are some benefits about having to wait?
2. Be realistic.
Might it be cancer? Might you have failed the exam? Might the news about your child be bad? Maybe so.
Is there something you can do to improve the chances of a favorable outcome?
Is there something you can do now to lessen how bad it might be?
What if the worst happens? How might God want you to use that? Can you picture how, with God at your side, you can handle whatever it is? Can you picture meaning in the outcome?
You might want to do some initial planning, just in case. What would honor Christ to say to the person delivering bad news? Or to your friends/family?
How can you serve others with this experience? How might you encourage others? How might you serve others by doing things that would have helped you?
Remind yourself, over and over as necessary, that if the worst happens, God is with you and God is for you.
3. Waiting is a sign to yield to God.
Pray.
Recognize God is in control not only of the outcome but also of the timing. How long you wait is His choice. What happens is His choice.
God has purpose in the process. He has a reason for making you wait. Your life and times are in His hand. (Psalm 31:15)
Choose to trust Him.
Surrender. Yield to God.
Ask the right questions.
“What should I learn from this?”
“How can I honor God in this?”
It is not asking Why? (See Why, God, Why?)
4. Manage your emotions.
God’s children are told not to worry. We are told not to be anxious. Instead, we are to pray.
Paul learned to be content in every situation. We can too.
We are to be strong and take courage. (Psalm 27:14; Psalm 31:24 and many other verses)
You can wait because you hope in Him (Psalm 39:7)
5. Remember, it will be okay. God promises. (Romans 8:28)
Remind yourself of His many promises to His children. You might want to copy out key verses and memorize them.
Questions for you:
Are you waiting for something?
How is it going?
Any tips?
