Waiting is something we are masters at minimizing. There is not much that is not at our fingertips, allowing us to generate, create and accomplish more in a day than ever thought possible. The upside to our technology is efficiency and instant communication. The downside is two-fold:
We’re becoming decreasingly patient and increasingly self-centered.
That’s not very warm and fuzzy, is it? Believe me, I would much rather open with a cool story. Unfortunately, waiting is the message I am grappling with right now, and I need to communicate it. Why?
Because I’m impatient and self-centered.
So, there’s that.
Moving on.
We all have areas of our lives in some mode of waiting that a click of a button cannot fix. Areas that make our stomachs ache as we churn over what needs to happen and isn’t happening.
According to our instant culture, wanting and receiving are mere seconds or hours apart. Therefore, we are accustomed to being satisfied. So, what happens when we have to wait? Indefinitely? No tracking numbers or email updates. Just plain, old-fashioned waiting?
And what if our waiting doesn’t come with a guarantee of what we really want? Then what do we do?
We throw an impatient, self-centered fit. (At least I do!)
Like you, I am waiting on something I have no control over. And it’s become painfully clear that if I don’t learn how to wait and allow God to work on His timetable, I will become increasingly disappointed and disillusioned to what God can actually do!
In other words…
Being impatient and self-centered does not bode well when I want something and want it NOW. But God does not cater to my temper tantrums. Why?
Because He has a greater purpose in mind.
I was reminded of this recently while reading about the Israelites in Egypt. Remember their tremendous oppression and how they cried out to be rescued? They waited in agony (for hundreds of years!) and then in Exodus 2 God heard their plea. Enter Moses, the infamous leader of the Israel Exit Plan. But, as you may recall, the plan wasn’t as straightforward as it appeared. It started and sputtered as Moses kept asking and asking and asking for Pharaoh to let them go. Finally, they got the go-ahead and began marching out in confidence.
Their suffering was over!
Soon afterwards, what they thought was the plan suddenly shifted. God told Moses Pharaoh would pursue them, but not to worry:
“I’ll use Pharaoh and his army to put My glory on display. Then the Egyptians will realize I am God” (Exodus 14:4).
Wait.. what?!
Pharaoh?! Egyptians?! I thought this was about the Israelites being rescued from slavery?!
And then it hit me. There was a greater purpose. Sure, God had compassion on His people and their plight, but the exodus from Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea was not just about the Israelites. God had a bigger plan. One that encompassed their goal, but also eclipsed it. The rescue was just the means for them to see God in a greater fashion.
God’s number one goal then, now and always is to make Himself known.
So, what does that have to do with waiting?
No matter how big our issues are (Israelites waiting to be rescued), there is always a bigger issue at hand (experiencing Him on a deeper level). The process of waiting, as well as whatever becomes the final outcome, is all designed to make Him known. Not just solve our problems.
As the Israelites stood between the Red Sea and the Egyptians, they were terrified and confused. Were they finally rescued, only to be defeated by Pharaoh’s army?! No. Instead, God used their fear, their confusion, their waiting to rescue them AND make Himself known in a way we are still talking about today.
Every bit of their waiting mattered and so does yours. So, don’t let impatience and self-focus deter you from what your waiting is creating behind the scenes.
Pain, confusion and fear are not wasted while you wait. They’re just part of a bigger plan.
Be Intentional
Ask God to help you enlarge your perspective to include your issue as well as His plans.
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