God, Don't Waste My Time

As tough as it is to go through, sometimes it’s just all in the waiting. Are you in a season where you find yourself waiting on God? Maybe you are waiting for Him to pull you out of a certain situation, or the opposite; waiting for Him to place you in a specific situation. Whatever the case, waiting and exercising patience is hard. As humans, it’s natural to want things done and accomplished in a certain way or time frame, but this can actually be detrimental to the plan God has for our lives when we interfere with it in the wrong ways.

When we enter this season of waiting/patience, it can sometimes feel like you’ve been crushed, or dried right out to the mere bone. It can be abrasive, frustrating, and disappointing. However, when we learn to wait with God, rather than wait for God, we will experience an easier time in navigating these long, and potentially unknown times in our lives when our expectation is in His hands, rather than ours. This way, we can understand purpose and become more malleable in our growth in Him.

In March 2017, we wrote about seasons, and pointed to the scripture of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 as it depicted a time or season for everything. This scripture points out that the passage of time certainly does change things, but before things change, waiting and patience may linger in your life.

Now, being told to wait is likely seen as an adversity in most lives. After all, we live in a prompt and ready world with little time to waste. Nevertheless, in times in our lives that feel like a waste, or seem still, God is on the move, whether we believe it or see it or not. Scripture tells us,

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act, making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday sun. Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him,” (Psalm 37: 5-7).

And again in Romans,

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer, (12:12).

So what are we to do in times of waiting? How insulting it is for us to say, “Well that was a waste of time,” or, “Today was a write off.” Each day, each season, each moment with God is a gift, and we must be willing to be stewards of this gift appropriately. The Bible says,

“This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it,” (Psalm 118:4).

To truly understand patience, it is absolutely necessary to understand that God first and foremost is patient with us every single day of our lives, before we are patient with Him. We often never look at situations from His perspective, but doing so leads to wisdom and understanding of where He wants us to be, and where we need a little more growing to do. We also need to understand that God is love, and love is patient, just as the scriptures tell us. Love will never fail us, even in these drought like times in our lives. We will continue to pursue Him, learn, and grow into the fullness of Christ.

Friend, your Father has seen your tears, heard your cry, and listens to your prayers. You are in His sight! We pray that this time of waiting leads you in the place where God has called you to be and shifts your perspective of who He is for you.

And so, we leave you with this Word,

“Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord,” (Psalm 27:14).