Waiting is so hard. I am not a patient person. I like to feel acknowledged when I talk to someone. I like an immediate answer so I can move on. I hate the word NO. I will actually hide from it. I will frame my question in a way that I will not hear it. In sales they say, "ask open ended questions so you don't hear the word no." I hate to hear, "let's wait and see." That one drives me nuts. I like a clear cut path to where I am going. I like to pray for something and have an immediate response. Unfortunately, God very seldom works like that for me. He keeps me in the waiting mode for what to me, seems like a lifetime.
What do I do in the waiting? What do I do when the answer is nowhere in sight or the provision seems impossible? Do I take matters into my own hands? Do I give up on God? Do I fall into the pattern of discontentment, complaints, jealousy, strife, separating myself from His church and His people. Go into my own home and hide.
The waiting is a dangerous and telling place. In the waiting, if I don't continue to put on my spiritual work boots, I allow a place, a crack in my armor for the enemy of my soul, the world, the flesh and the devil to seep in. In my pattern of discontentment I see everything through altered vision. My spiritual glasses have been broken and now The Truth that I once saw clearly is blurry and shadows of a once strong faith. The calling on my life, I now look at with disdain. The Church I once loved is a rock around my neck, dragging me under, putting demands on me that I am no longer willing to meet or try to meet. Fellowship is not what it used to be so it I am not interested in keeping up relationships. I have become a lazy Christian putting on my spiritual PJ's and throwing out my work boots.
What are my spiritual work boots for? Serving others...how?
- Serving in the church
- Serving the poor
- Serving the community
- Teaching children how to live this life
- Teaching/showing others that God is love
- Putting the needs of others first
- Cleaning the house of God
- Making connections, friends, fellowship with other Christians
- Going to Church
- Proclaiming His Word
- Studying His Word
- Prayer
- Prayer for others
- Prayer for ourselves
- Willingness to go
- Readiness to go where He sends us
- Fasting
- Bringing our children to church
- WORSHIP
Our spiritual work boots are for others.
As we serve others in the waiting time...we get our eyes off of ourselves and time goes by quicker. We are moving instead of becoming stagnant, stinking, unfruitful, unprofitable servants of the the Master, Creator.
As my dad says, "It's where you get your stories."
Great things can happen in the waiting. Things can get done. We can ready ourselves for the task. We can be strengthened during this time. We can use our waiting time to be productive, faithful servants and see God's hand move.
Waiting is hard and uncomfortable...I don't like to be told to wait. My flesh rises up and tries to change the mind of God. But I have step back and realize that He is God and I am not and sometimes the answer is No. Not a fan of that one.
Hannah cried such sorrowful tears and suffered such ridicule in her waiting time. But she never doubted the authority of God to say yes or no or maybe, not yet. And look what the Lord did for her.
So if you are in the waiting today...put on your work boots and put your PJ's in the drawer for another day. It's time to get to serve.
Praise the LORD!
For he has heard my cry for mercy.
The LORD is
my strength and shield.
I trust in him with all my heart.
He helps me,
and my heart is filled with joy.
I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.
-Psalms 28:6-7 NLT
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