What Are You Waiting For?

Waiting has got to be one of the least favorite activities of life. We wait in the checkout line at Wal-Mart as the three checkers leisurely checkout the 800 people ahead of us. We wait for the cable guy, who may arrive sometime between 8 AM and 5 Pm, to connect us to hundreds of viewing possibilities, most of which we will never actually sit and watch but we MUST have total access and we need it TODAY. So we wait. We wait for all manner of things and we love to complain about waiting and even brag about how long we may have had to wait for what we wanted.

Waiting is a part of life, a bigger part than we likely realize. It is part of the price we pay for what we need and desire. That price is time. We spend time waiting just as assuredly as we spend money on the things for which we are waiting. We budget our time accordingly.

Since we spend a significant amount of our allotted time waiting, what happens to those minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years? Are they wasted? Can they be utilized? If we are in a restaurant waiting for food, those empty minutes could be filled with family interaction and conversation. Instead of staring blankly at the walls for 15 minutes maybe we could have real quality family time. You might learn something and you will definitely teach your family that you are more interested in them than the restaurant's decor.

While we wait to hear from our doctor about test results, maybe we could spend time praising and thanking God for His goodness to us. But wait a minute Robby! (pun intended) Should not I WAIT until I get a good report before I start all that praising and thanking business? Let me answer that lovingly with one word, NO. Exercise some faith and begin praising God before you know the results. You may not get a good report but God is still in control and we should all sure be thankful for that. Another good thing to do would be to take extra time to pray for others while you pray for yourself.

Many times we ask God what it is that He would have us do with this time we have been given. That is a good prayer because God gives purpose to us all. Part of the purpose He gives us is general and part is specific to each one. While we wait to hear from Him on the specific purpose for our lives let us be actively pursuing the general purposes He gives us all.

We should talk to Him. Pray without ceasing means that we pray persistently and consistently. Behave like a Christian. Paul taught us that if we will live in the Spirit then we will not live for the world. Let people see Jesus alive in you and hear words of faith from you. Jesus said if we deny Him here then He will deny us to the Father. God did not call us to be undercover Christians.

God gave a great promise in Isaiah 40:31. He said that if we will wait on God then God in return will renew our strength. Waiting on God demonstrates our faith in Him. Waiting on God means that we continue to obey Him. It is not wasted time. In fact, waiting often prepares us for what is coming next.

Waiting is probably not your favorite thing. It is not mine either. The point is, what will we do with the time we have? As we wait for one thing or another, will we use that time well or will it be wasted? I think we might all be surprised at what can be done with those moments of waiting. Right now, consider how you can be productive while you wait. Then get to it. What are you waiting for?

Because He lives,

Robby