Waiting? Part 1

by Tiffany S.
from Virtuous Daughters, January 2011~Volume 10, Number 11

“And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in Thee.”—Psalm 39:7
 
Have you ever heard a single girl say something to this effect: “I’m waiting for the Lord to bring me a husband.” Probably most of us have. In fact, we may have even thought something like that ourselves! And frankly, for many of us, there’s truth to the statement. We are waiting for the Lord to bring the right man to be our husband. God’s best is certainly worth waiting for! However, I’d like to share some thoughts that the Lord has been impressing on my heart lately. I think that by telling ourselves (and others) that we’re “waiting,” we could potentially slip into a mindset that keeps us from using our “single” years fully for the glory of God. 

You see, all Christians go through a season of waiting. There are young men and women waiting for God to bring about the right person to be their life partner. There are couples waiting for the Lord to bless them with children. There are fathers waiting for the right job opportunity to present itself. There are people waiting for the Lord to heal them of illness or disease. There are children and adults waiting for the Lord to answer a certain prayer, to reveal His will about some specific aspect of their lives. Waiting. It’s a basic component of our lives. And, if responded to properly, it can be a wonderful aspect of our walk with Christ.

Sometimes individuals who consider themselves to be “waiting” tend to think something like this: “When I finally [fill in the blank: graduate, get my health back, get the right job, get married, have children, etc.], then everything will be smooth and easy. I’ll never complain . . . my dreams will have come true.” This is a dangerous mindset. As Philippians 4:11 says, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” I have a long-distance friend who I love dearly. One of our friendship “goals” is to get a picture together. (We’ve met once, but did not get a picture during that time.) My friend closed a recent letter with these words: “I wish we could visit together so bad! But I guess that until then I’ll strive to be content with whatsoever state I’m in but, I’ll also pray without ceasing! :)” I smiled as I read that. Ironically, it illustrates the very point I’d like to make: we learn contentment in the “season” God has us in, while continually praying about and for the Lord’s will in our future. That is precisely how Christians should respond to seasons of waiting.
 
Don’t Wait for Life to Start . . .
It is imperative that none of us “wait” for life to start, because it’s already started. When we became Christians, God’s work in our lives began and He will continue to perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). He is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2); there’s no period of time assigned to idleness (Proverbs 31:10–31!). (And by the way, I’m not insinuating that we must be full of commotion every minute; I am referring to our walk with Christ. There are times when He is calling us to be still and listen to His still, small voice—to focus on devotion to Him even more than busily flying around, attempting to accomplish fifty million things at one time. :))

It is so important that we serve God every minute He has given us. We have no promise of tomorrow. “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”—James 4:14 Again, this truth is echoed in Proverbs 27:1: “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” God has not promised us tomorrow. He has promised us blessings if we follow Him (Psalm 19:11); joy if we abide in Him (John 15:11); and rewards if we seek Him (Hebrews 11:6); but He has not guaranteed that we will be given everything we desire in this life. Let’s build treasures in heaven, where they last and matter for eternity, which we can be certain of. “. . . provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”—Luke 12:33–34

While many of us who are graduated are technically in a time of “waiting,” I think we ought to be careful in viewing it that way. By no means am I criticizing hope chests or diligent preparation for marriage and a family. Not at all! I believe to prepare for God’s calling is wise and extremely critical. Though dreadfully overlooked in today’s culture, few things are more important than having a godly vision for future generations. However, I would say that waiting is not: buying every book on homemaking, only to let all of them collect dust on our shelves; spending hours sitting in front of the window, gazing at the clouds, and thinking about how wonderful Prince Charming will be when he comes; saying “I want to be a wife and mother someday, if the Lord wills,” but being a disagreeable or lazy daughter and sister (and refusing to change); you get the idea . . . Actually, waiting is a time of activity. It’s a time devoted to prayer, spiritual growth, seeking the Lord, talking with our parents and heeding their wise counsel, learning, preparation, and serving the Lord wholeheartedly during this incredibly valuable season of our lives.

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To Be Continued . . .