For many of us, waiting is an annoying process. Who among us, if being completely honest, really likes to wait for anything? In American society, if we have to wait more than 60 seconds in a restaurant drive thru, we start to get irritated. And if we’re getting a morning cup of coffee or breakfast bite and we’re getting close to being late for work, we may start getting angry! In a world that tries to cram every bit of production possible into every minute, waiting seems like a gross, unforgivable waste of time. Because of our fast-paced, self-centered living, we often struggle with waiting on God.
Think about it: if we are taught that wasting time is sinful and that every minute should be filled with getting something accomplished, then it doesn’t make sense that God would make us wait. Since God hates sin and wasting time is sinful (Ephesians 5:15-16), then God would never tell us to waste time! However, we have to have a proper understanding about what wasting time is and what it is not. Sitting in God’s presence is not wasting time. Resting in order to recharge and refocus is not wasting time. Being still and listening to Him is not wasting time. Grasping the concept of slowing down and waiting on God is generally a struggle for everyone, at least in the beginning of their relationship and walk with God.
One of the awesome things about God is that He rules time. To Him, our entire lives on Earth are a mere flash. He’s not worried about time. He owns it! He controls it! With that being said, how can we continue to worry about wasting too much time in God’s presence when God Himself is the Father of time? In the same vein, why would we spend hours, days, months, or years worrying about when God is going to supply us with something we believe we need?
Before God sent Eric into my life, I worried that I would never marry… or that I would marry the wrong man. Everywhere I went, I found myself obsessed with wondering if my future husband was in the room. Let me tell you, it was exhausting and completely unproductive. Some days, I would bounce out of bed and find myself all smiles, completely confident that the Lord was about to reveal him to me at any moment. Other days, I felt sorry for myself thinking of a million reasons why God would withhold sending my husband to me. In retrospect, I did waste a lot of time. Essentially, I was saying, “God, I don’t trust You with my life and I don’t trust that You will supply my needs. If You don’t give me what I think I need, when I think I need it, then You are not trustworthy.” This is completely sobering, because I would never dream of looking into the heavens and saying such a statement to Almighty God… but I was continually saying it with my heart and actions.
Do you relate to the above paragraph? Are you waiting, some days patiently and some days impatiently, for the Lord to reveal your future spouse to you? You are not alone. This is one of the most difficult areas to relinquish to the Lord. If I had those years prior to meeting Eric back, and I knew then what I know now, I would do so many other things with that fretting time. I would have trained for a marathon. I would have spent so much more time in Scripture. I would have been excited to hear what God wanted me to do with my singlehood. Yet, I was so wrapped up in begging God for my spouse, and in worrying that God was going to take “too long,” to embrace my single years for all God wanted them to be. To this day I have no idea the things I could’ve done for Christ, the people I could’ve met, and the treasures I could’ve stored up in Heaven, if I had taken my eyes off of what I felt was right for me, and placed my eyes on Christ and His perfect plan and perfect time.
An old saying for those waiting on God is “He may not come when you want Him, but He’ll be there right on time.” And it is true; He holds time in His hands. If you are seeking to live a life consecrated to Him, He will be there on time – His time. He will give you exactly what you need for the next leg of your journey. If you are still waiting for your spouse, immerse yourself in God’s word and seek Him with your whole heart. Instead of worrying about from where your future spouse will come, spend time reading Scripture, building your community, and serving others. He will be faithful in supplying your needs.
If you are struggling in this area, please let us know in the comments below so that we (and others reading) can be in prayer for you. A great song that accompanies this topic is “While I’m Waiting” by John Waller:
If you are not yet in a relationship and want to be or if you are waiting for events to progress in your life, how are you dealing with the issue of waiting on God’s timing?
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