A Reflection On Waiting

When I am impatient for God’s answer

Often we look for God’s direction in a matter—a career choice, a business decision, or maybe a relationship issue. We are willing to act. We’ll do whatever He says. We just need to know what it is. We don’t hear from Him, and then we grow impatient. And just when it seems that God has left us in a state of perpetual ambiguity, He acts. We were to wait and watch because, like the disciples after Jesus’ ascension, we were yet unequipped.

Waiting is perhaps the most difficult aspect of a believer’s relationship with God. Our culture emphasizes speed, efficiency, and instant gratification. We pray and then wonder at God’s “silence” when His response isn’t immediate. We forget the stories of Joseph, Moses, and many others who spent years in preparation for God’s timing.

When we find ourselves impatient and directionless, we must remember that all of His work is done on His initiative and that He takes time to prepare us for it. Like the disciples, we are to wait and watch.

Do not leave Jerusalem, until the Father sends you the gift he promised.

Acts 1:4