Waiting on God
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You wouldn't think it, but sitting still is one of the hardest things to do.
Many of us are natural doers. In our society, being willing and able to take the initiative is seen as a virtue, a personality trait we try to adopt in our day-to-day life and instil in our children through example. We want to get out there, move, make things happen! Entire industries are based on this impulse. Look at Home Depot, would it exist if there wasn't for home DIY enthusiasts? If everyone who had a leaky pipe called in a plumber, would we have entire aisles dedicated to fittings, wrenches, and pipes? No, when something is broken, we're taught to spring into action, to try and fix it on our own. We take matters into our own hands.
But what about those times when its out of your hands? When what's broke isn't some home amenity, but something larger and scarier. When the problem isn't going to be solved with a pipe wrench and a YouTube tutorial? These are the times when we have to turn to God. We have to put our worries in his care and our trust in his divine wisdom.
And that means waiting.
God doesn't work according to our sense of timing. When we bring out concerns before the Lord, we know that He is listening and that He cares, but that does not mean we're promised a speedy or obvious answer. No one takes a number outside of God's office and has their personal issue settled in the order in which it was received. He doesn't keep posted hours of business.
As a culture of doers and take charge workers, this can be hard to accept. We've been trained to believe that we need to immediately take action. That if something isn't being done fast enough, we should get out there and do it ourselves. But, we need to remember that the virtues our culture holds dear aren't always the virtues that God holds dear. God values patience and faith.
In Galatians 5:22, patience is listed as one of the fruits of the spirit. One of the qualities that a life in Christ should develop. When it comes to taking our prayers to the Lord, Psalm 37:7 directly tells us to "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” But how do we know that our prayers will be answered? Well, we read in Deuteronomy 7:9 "Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.” God always keeps his word.
When we turn our problems over to the Lord, that means we turn them over to him. We've recognized that there is a problem that is just too big to handle by ourselves, a job we're just not equipped to deal with, and we've called in the ultimate contractor to take care of it. Now, you have to let Him do His work. It's not our place watch over His shoulder, tapping our watch and wondering if it can't be done faster.
Wait on God. Wait with patience and faith. When you struggle to let things go, when you feel anxious that God isn't moving fast enough, remember that God always keeps his promises. That He is the greatest of covenant keepers, and while it might not always seem like it, things are moving right on schedule according to his plan.
