180 Degrees: Those Who Wait

Waiting…

Math Joke: What shape usually waits for you inside a store? The line.

I can’t say I’ve ever heard someone say, “I like waiting.” In a culture of impulse buying, instant gratification, and super-fast wifi, human nature says waiting is bad. “You should have what you want right now,” as commercials and advertisements say. No one wants to wait. The faster the world gets, the harder it becomes to wait.

Jesus waited. He waited 30 years before preaching His message of salvation. He waited and helped His disciples mature. He waited for His Father’s timing. How can we learn from His example? Before I jump into three benefits of waiting, we must shift our mindset…

180 Degrees

First off, here’s what I’m not saying. I’m not telling you to wait and do nothing about the Great Commission. Don’t wait to do that! I’m also not saying you should deliberately find the longest line at the grocery store. Some waiting is inevitable. What we’re supposed to wait for is God’s timing.

The world wins when you don’t wait. Advertisers win when you don’t stop and think before buying. They win by making it as easy as possible for you to buy their product or service. They hit you with “Why wait?” and “Life is short” messages to convince you to buy now. I’m a fan of the 7-day buying method. It involves waiting at least a week before making a big purchase, to ensure you’re spending your money wisely. (And pray about it.)

Our no-wait culture wins when we don’t think about our actions. So stop and think, because “good things come to those who wait”. Waiting doesn’t just save you from rash decisions and impulse spending in the short term, it also strengthens you in the long term.

Here are three benefits of waiting…

Waiting Builds Character.

You may know that I’m a Lifeguard. Lifeguarding is a semi-unique job because you can’t say “I want the job” and instantly get hired. I could draft a resume and walk into McDonalds today, and there’s a chance they’d hire me. I can’t walk into a swimming pool (literally or figuratively) and ask for a job. You must wait and first go through training. It’s because I waited and developed my skillsets that I was chosen to lifeguard at camp for the summer.

When we wait for something, we realize its importance. The problem with many people nowadays is a lack of commitment. People enter a new job, decide it’s too hard, and quit. People get married, decide they’re not in love anymore, and quit. People buy the latest product, decide it’s not for them, and return it. People abandon commitment and choose the easy way: social media and fake friends, pornography, the next thing, and so forth (none of which exemplify commitment or putting in effort).

Here’s the deal: you can’t be committed without waiting. Noah didn’t hear from God and build the Ark overnight. He waited and built for decades. He was committed. He was dedicated. In the same way, Jesus built into His disciples. He didn’t “block” or “unfriend” Peter when he messed up – Jesus stayed committed to His friends.

Waiting is a character-building exercise. It’s a test. Unfortunately, many are failing. Rather than waiting for the best, they settle for less. Don’t do it! Commit yourself and follow through. To use a golf example: Don’t stop mid-swing, it ruins your shot.

Waiting Strengthens Us.

Waiting and persevering strengthen our resolve. It could be a diet, an exercise schedule, a new habit, or reading the Bible regularly. Whatever it is, you only succeed by persevering and waiting for the results.

In the words of many wise people: Find what you’re good at and stick with it. Don’t leapfrog and try every new technique that mankind creates. Too many of us are distracted by the latest and greatest thing, and it tugs us off the path. This is a surefire way to score an ‘F’ on the waiting test. Will you give up and pursue the next thing or keep going?

Moses waited in the desert for 40 years. Then he returned to Egypt. God was testing him. Would Moses give up or pursue something else? Or would he continue to follow God? (Spoiler: he chose God.)

You may not want to hear this, but doing everything you want and getting everything you want doesn’t strengthen your character. We don’t get better at waiting by ordering fast food and using express delivery. The same applies to prayer. You can not grow closer to God if He grants your requests immediately. That turns God into a genie. We grow stronger by waiting and trusting His timing.

Waiting Prepares Us.

Jesus “waited” 30 years before His mission began. He didn’t rush ahead of God’s plan. Jesus submitted Himself to God’s will and used His season of waiting to grow. Waiting doesn’t mean doing nothing, it means improving so you may live out your full potential when the time is right.

A question: Will we wait for God’s timing or rush ahead and do what we think is best? In essence, our lives are a waiting game. Our lives are a test. Will we commit ourselves wholeheartedly to God? Will we walk in His ways? Or will we take the minimal effort path and give in to every fleeting desire and impulse?

The Consequences of Not Waiting…

As Lamentations 3:25 (NKJV) says, “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
to the soul who seeks Him.” I’m not advocating for downgrading our wifi speeds or driving way under the speed limit. I am advocating that we wait on God’s timing.

Too often I find myself rushing ahead, then asking God’s advice. This is the problem with not waiting (also dubbed impatience). Impatience is our way of saying we either don’t trust God’s timing or that we’d rather “chicken out” and take the easy way.

Here’s a short highlight reel of Biblical “Fs” on the waiting test:

Abraham and Sarah taking God’s prophecy into their own hands when they didn’t see immediate answers. FAIL. The Israelites neglecting to trust God in the wilderness, leading to years of suffering. FAIL. Joshua losing multiple battles because he didn’t ask the Lord’s advice. FAIL. Samson doing it his own way and killing others for his own glory. FAIL. Saul losing the kingship because he didn’t wait for Samuel before building an altar. FAIL.

The Power of Waiting…

From a human standpoint, waiting saves us from stupid decisions, overspending, debt, and wasting time and resources on unhealthy or unhelpful things. But if you’re also a Christian, it means far more on a spiritual level.

If you look at success stories in the Bible, you’ll see a common thread: These men and women waited and asked for God’s help. They also stayed on God’s path, even when it was hard. I know you’ve been waiting for this to end, so here’s my last point, found in Isaiah 30:18 (NLT)…

“So the Lord must wait for you to come to Him so He can show you His love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for His help.”

Huh. This passage doesn’t say, “So the Lord must run after you so He can show you His love and compassion.” Jesus isn’t running to catch up with you; He’s waiting for you. As a popular quote goes, “Great men don’t run, great men are run to.”

God is patiently waiting for you, right now. He made the first move – sending His son to die for us. God is waiting for you, and He won’t change His mind. He’s committed to your salvation. And interestingly enough, you can never run fast enough to catch someone who’s only a prayer away. You actually have to slow down and put in the effort.

Our lives are a test with eternal rewards (or consequences). While we wait, we should all ask: Are we committed to waiting on the Lord, or are we trusting in ourselves? Will we pray before making decisions, or assume we know what’s best? Will we walk the easy road, or commit ourselves to building into projects and relationships that matter?

As Psalm 46:10 says…

“Be still, and know that I am God.”