Waiting is an act of humility and love towards the Lord. It gradually removes the addiction to self-gratification and replaces it with the aroma of Christ. It teaches us to surrender our lives, desires, and dreams to the one who gave them to us in the first place!
Waiting is countercultural to the current climate of immediate self-gratification. Sometimes, we can make something happen, but just because we can doesn’t mean we should. Waiting allows us to see things through God’s perspective and get His mind on them rather than move on our limited view and half-baked ideas!!
Waiting Positions Us for Success
And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me. Acts 1:4
After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples must have been ready to tell everyone about what had transpired, but they weren’t prepared. Jesus knew they would need more than excitement and an excellent message to reach the multitudes and face the persecution awaiting them. They needed the comforter, the counselor, and the Holy Spirit to help them with all they would encounter.
Children are a good example of this. They may think they’re ready to cook in the kitchen or drive a car, but parents know it takes more than a desire or a zeal to play with fire or sit behind a steering wheel!
Sometimes, we are ready, but the Lord asks us to wait. This could be a desire to be married or have children. It could be waiting for a raise or a promotion in the job. We may want to have the opportunity to do certain things or have certain things, but the Lord is not allowing it. We may feel hurt or even rejected. We may even see others around us doing or having what we want, which leads to discontentment, insecurity, and discouragement.
We must remind ourselves that “God is for us, not against us.” He desires for us to do well and produce good fruit. He is the one who has a purpose and plan for our lives and calls us to do good works. Why would He stop us from what He desires, except that it’s not the right time yet?
The disciples had to wait because it wasn’t time to begin their ministry yet. What have you been waiting for that the answer has been “Not yet?” How are you handling it?
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay