Waiting
WHAT . . . WAIT?
Waiting is one of the hardest things we humans do. It tests our patience and exposes our need for control. Waiting can be frustrating, and can make us irritable and anxious. Our culture prizes getting what we want, when we want it. Delaying gratification seems trivial and unnecessary. But is it good for us? Is there merit to denying ourselves simple pleasures, to practicing moderation for the sake of self-control? When our desires are easily satisfied, what happens to our sense of fulfillment? Does our appetite for more become insatiable? Is easy access creating an addictive society?
I fear, as a culture, we have become soft and dull. I fear our aversion to waiting diminishes our ability to discipline ourselves, and our children. The COVID crisis has exposed our addiction to instant gratification. We don’t want to put in the hard work that discipline requires and are ever searching for shortcuts to accomplish our goals with less effort. We justify skipping steps in order to quicken the process and achieve the desired result. But at what cost?
You’ve heard the adage, “Don’t just stand there, do something!” But what if you flipped it around and said to yourself, “Don’t just do something, stand there.” Are there merits to waiting? Is there value in slowing down and sitting tight? Does waiting create longing? Does it help us discover what we want most, not what’s on the surface and accessible, but what’s deep down and takes time to root and grow?
As Christians we are to live in the world, while remembering we are not of it. This is our temporary residence. We also live in the very real tension between the already and the not yet. Christ’s work on the cross is accomplished. He declared it to be true when he gasped, “It is finished.” And yet, you and I are not only saved from something [sin], we are saved to something [eternal life]. This temporal life is important but it cannot be compared to what awaits us. As believers, our deepest longing is to spend eternity with God. It’s what we were made for and it won’t be satisfied until we meet our Lord face to face.
But…since you are alive (and reading this), you are living in the tension of the here and now. You are in waiting mode. You cannot hurry this process. The tension is there for a reason. You might say we’re in a double conundrum: waitingin the tension and waiting for this COVID crisis to be over. What will you do while you wait? How will you live with it? What can it form in you?
The truth is - there are no easy answers, no quick fixes.
Take some time to sit with the One Who is the way, the truth and the life. Tell Him how hard it is to wait. Sure He knows, but He wants to hear from you. Tell Jesus your struggles. Lay them out, one by one. And after you’ve done so, ask for the courage to act on what He might reveal.
There is a lot to chew on here. Don’t race passed what pricked your conscience and move on to the next thing. Take some time to reread this and sit with the questions. Notice the emotions that arise in you. Write about them and offer your words to the Lord. Wrestle with the questions. If answers come to mind, write them down. Commit to acting on whatever you sense the Spirit is saying to you. Share it with someone else who will hold you accountable to carry it out.
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. ”
“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. ”
“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. ”
“Therefore we do not lose heart… For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ”