For a long time I had the mindset that I could earn what I wanted if I was “good” enough, said the right prayers, went to church and read the Bible consistently. Even tho I probably wouldn’t admit, my relationship with God was more like a checklist and I was always trying to earn His approval (instead of living in the approval I already have through Jesus). Because of this mindset I thought that, if I was doing all the “right” things, then God would hear my prayers and grant me the desires of my heart.
Have you ever thought, like me, that the purpose of waiting on God is to get what you want?? That, if you just wait with enough patience and faith you can earn the outcome you are hoping for?
At times I have thought that waiting on God meant that He was obligated to give me what I was waiting for because I had earned and deserved it.
There’s also a temptation to have this thinking towards relationships…that, if you’re honoring God, are waiting patiently, and are content in Him then He is obligated to bring you a spouse. But, if you are wrestling with God’s timing & struggling in singleness, then He’s going to withhold from you until you are content and ready. Like there’s a secret code He’s waiting for you to unlock before you’re ready for marriage.
This thinking is soo harmful because it causes us to become focused on ourselves and our actions leading to self-righteousness, entitlement, or condemnation. And, most of all, it takes away from God’s grace that we can never merit!
One of the most freeing truths about the Gospel is that God gives good gifts to His children by His grace and grace alone. The greatest gift of all, salvation, is a display of His amazing and overwhelming mercy and grace. When we realize that our walk with Christ becomes a joy and our relationship with Him is an outpouring of love and gratitude for all He has done for us that we could never ever earn.
As we wait on God and walk in His grace we see that He is all we need. I know that sounds cliche, but it’s true. Maybe you, like me, have been waiting on God FOR something or for Him to DO something. But, as you seek His face, you find that all you need is IN HIM. There is nothing good that He is withholding from you (even if it may not feel like that at times).
SO, here’s a thought I’ve been pondering… What if waiting is the destination?? You know that corny quote “the journey is the destination” haha it’s kinda like that (but hopefully a little bit less corny.)
Waiting on God is right where He wants us… Perhaps that’s why scripture repeatedly says “wait on the Lord” NOT “wait on the Lord until He gives you ______.” You may feel like you’re stuck in an in-between, pointless waiting season; but what if that is EXACTLY where God wants you?!?!!
During the waiting Jesus works in our hearts in ways that He cannot do otherwise. Romans 5:3-5 says “knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” He produces character in us when we surrender our suffering and waiting to Him.
Although this is something I don’t always want to acknowledge, waiting is not a season we graduate from this side of heaven. He wants us there for the rest of our lives: trusting and depending on Him for everything. Waiting on Him for e-ver-y-th-ing.
Have you ever thought that your season of waiting will end once:
– you graduate college
– you move out
– you land your dream job
– you get a boyfriend
– you get engaged
– you get married
– you buy a house
– you have kids
– your kids have grown
– your kids move out
– you retire
…the list goes on and on
But, what if the waiting doesn’t stop when we get what we’re “waiting for?”
The truth is, our flesh doesn’t want to wait…we want to rely on ourselves and, when we’re honest, we don’t want to wait patiently for anything. But, as we wait, we must continually surrender our story and our journey to Jesus. We may never understand why the journey of waiting has to be so long, but we can trust that He is in control.
This instagram caption was a big realization to me: “the moment we refuse to romanticize our hurt or strangle it until it produces purpose, is the moment we see who God is and what He’s capable of doing with and in the midst of our deep pain … have the courage to believe that telling the truth about your suffering will make way for God to reveal the truth about Himself.”
Sometimes I’m so bent on figuring out the purpose of the season I’m in so I can move on. I often think I can rush the waiting by learning the lesson God is teaching me so I can “pass the test.” But that leads to feelings of failure and it can be hard for me to be vulnerable in the in-between. I don’t want to sit in the pain or feel like I’m not doing enough. But it’s through the pain and the honesty that God can reveal Himself in ways I wouldn’t know otherwise. Being honest before God, and being vulnerable with others, releases you to walk in the joy and the sorrow of each season and walk through that with others. Because every season has its beauty and it’s difficulty.
Waiting is not some cruel exam that we are doomed to retake until we pass.
Waiting is part of the journey with God. And, in His kindness and grace, the waiting is never in vain. We can trust that He is working and moving, even when we can’t see it. Most importantly, we can rest in the fact that our God is never in a hurry and He is never late. He wants to be our everything. The goal is to wait on Him, not on an outcome. He is the prize and the reward; the One who is worthy of our trust and our faith. When the outcome does *or doesn’t* go the way we hoped, we still need Him, every second, every minute, every hour.
If you’re seeking contentment, fulfillment, or satisfaction in ANYTHING else it will leave you empty and searching. As you wait on Jesus you will find that HE is the One you have needed all along. In the waiting, He can show us things we couldn’t see before …things we maybe didn’t realize we needed.
So… don’t rush, don’t fret, or allow anxiety to rob you of the blessings He’s given you today. If you have been walking in condemnation, thinking that God is withholding from you because of what you are *or are not* doing, I pray you are released to walk in the grace and freedom He has for you. Continue to wait on Him and enjoy the journey. He is both the journey and the destination. He is everything.