How Do We Wait?

By faithbiela

Waiting is so hard for us to do as Christians. Difficult because we have seen and have even experienced the promises of God but in our minds those promises are taking too long to come to pass when it is our time to wait. We doubt. We are all waiting for something. We may be waiting for a relationship, for pregnancy, for a career shift, for financial blessings or for healing but one thing is for sure. There is nothing you are waiting for that another person has not yet experienced or is currently experiencing. Waiting in the wrong way however can lead to feelings of frustration, loneliness and despair or can even cause us to question our faith.

In an earlier post I wrote titled, “What is God Waiting For”, I discussed that God is always at work.  He never sleeps nor slumbers. Then why is it that the things we are waiting for don’t come to pass when we want? To remind you, I said that God is at work according to His own purposes and not our own. We often forget that.

God is waiting for what is transpiring to transform us. He wants to see transformation on the inside of us.

God has a purpose and a plan for our lives and the truth is that, waiting forms us.  Waiting is as important as the thing in which you are waiting for. Waiting prepares us for blessings.

Now that you understand that waiting has a purpose, It is time to change your focus and your attitude towards waiting. How do we wait?

Wait by Listening. Choose to surrender. Trust that God has your best interest at heart. Listen to the calm, still voice of God. He is always speaking but we rarely listen. What is He trying to teach you during this season? The thing about listening is that the more you do it, the better you become at it. Put listening into practice when you pray. When you pray, do you only tell God your needs and desires or do you inquire about the things He wants to reveal to you and give Him an opportunity to respond?  Let Him speak to you through His Word, through His Holy Spirit and through your experiences…but remember any thoughts of fear and anxiety are not from God. The voice of God is peaceful and calm.

Wait in Obedience. Now that you have inquired from God, follow through with what God asked you to do. Waiting is not an excuse to abandon your responsibilities. Waiting is not passive. You cannot expect to be a CEO if you are habitually late to your workplace now that you are just the housekeeper and you cannot expect to be blessed with that man or woman of your dreams while you are not yet working on yourself…God calls us to be obedient with every aspect of our lives from our calling, to our relationships and even down to our finances. We ought to be good stewards with what God has blessed and entrusted us with.

Wait and Refocus. While waiting don’t focus on the provisions God will provide rather focus on you.  Remember, waiting is about transformation. It is an opportunity for personal growth. Yes, an opportunity. Waiting is a faith journey.

Let’s look at a very popular scripture. This promise of God is not only encouraging but forth telling.

Isaiah 40:31

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

There are times in your waiting that you, like an eagle, will soar. Soar upward.  You will soar over your fears, anxieties and your circumstances. You will feel strong.  You will feel God’s presence ever so near.

There are other days in your waiting when you will have to run. You will have to put effort in to having patience.  You must run with endurance and persevere. You will run day by day but God promises you will not grow weary.

Lastly, there are days while you are waiting that you will walk. You may be at your breaking point. You may feel tired. Getting up and taking a step may be one of the hardest things to do. When Jesus was at His own breaking point, He did not run up Calgary hill. No, all He could do was walk. ONE STEP AT A TIME… He stumbled, His back bent over…He could hardly utter a word. While He waited for God to fulfill His promise he walked one step and a time and God was with Him. Externally it didn’t look like it and internally it may not have felt like it but God indeed was with Him. God’s promise did in fact come to pass. Don’t stop walking. God see’s you. He is with you.

Now, waiting involves God changing us by what we let go of…

What are you holding on to in your waiting that you shouldn’t for comfort and reassurance?

Let go. God will catch you if you do. Don’t just grab unto anything as you let go but rather take hold of the promises of God. God’s promises carry a life time warranty. Can you say that about the things you are now holding on to?

Dear friends, I can assure you that there is one thing that you will NEVER have to wait for. You will never have to wait for the assurance of who you belong to. God’s presence and His love are available to us right now! Take heart in that. Our loving Father is with us every step of the way. Whether we are soaring, running or walking…He is with us.

With Love,

Faith ‘Biela

 

“But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,

I wait for God my Savior;

My God will hear me.”

~Micah 7:7