Wait... But Just Don't Wait

If there’s one thing in life that is more frustrating than anything else for me it has to be waiting. Everywhere we go these days it’s a “hurry up and wait” game. When you:

• go out to eat, where you wait for a table and then for your food...
• take a test and wait for your grade
• try out for a team and wait for an answer...
• go to the movies and wait through the previews...
• order from Netflix to avoid the previews and then wait for the DVD to arrive...

Even though so much of the world seems focused instant results, things just don’t seem to pan out that way. God uses waiting in our lives to help us grow maybe more than any other tool in his belt. My mother used to call it "active waiting". What she meant was when God says be still and wait, try to find something to do in the meantime that will contribute to what you’re waiting for. The best thing you can do without question is pray. It sounds so simple but a lot of the waiting God sets up is designed to push us into a better relationship with him. We’ve already talked about getting to know God by reading his word. Another way to do that is by praying to Him. Read Psalm 27:14, Hebrews 6:15 or Isaiah 40:31 and you can see that waiting plays a big role in your relationship with God. You can see in Isaiah that as we wait we gain strength and stamina. Where else do you see that occur in life? Maybe exercise? That’s what I think of. Waiting is very much like that and can be a good thing in your life. Don’t be discouraged if you feel like you’re waiting for something that doesn’t seem to ever come. For your older brother to play ball with you... for your friend to know Jesus... for your parents to stop fighting.... Whatever happens God will use that time in your life to bring you closer to him. But don’t just wait: PRAY!!!