Waiting is hard.
Especially when you’re a driven person with a Type A personality, when you love to plan your work and work your plan. I know. I’m very much like that. And so, like you, waiting is big struggle for me. I don’t like to wait.
Waiting makes me feel like I’m out of control. I like to know that I’m on top of things. So, many times, I strike a bargain with God and tell Him: “So, You want me to wait, You want me to be patient. That’s okay. Just tell me how long I have to wait for. That way, it will be easy for me to be patient.” Because that way, I can still feel like I’m actively in control.
The most challenging part of any waiting is not knowing exactly when the answer will come. I’m sure many of you could stand anything if they told you when it would end. I believe I could stand anything if I knew that the on the so and so day of so and so month, maybe by 5pm, I would have my answer.
Usually, though, it doesn’t work that way. In fact, recently, when I was reading a book, a biblical reference jumped at me. Right after telling His disciples to wait for the promise of the Father, Jesus told them:
“It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority” (Acts 1:7).
Whoa!
In fact, The Message puts it more succinctly: “You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Father’s business.”
I’m sure God has a reason for keeping the timing of certain things from us. To be honest, I think I’d like to know exact times and seasons. However, for a wiser, far more superior and far more loving reason, I’m sure God has decided that it would be best if I can’t make a note in my diary and fix a particular event in my life for a particular date.
So, what does this mean for the person who loves to plan and get certain things done at a certain time?
To the best of your knowledge, make your plans and obey God as far as you know how. Then stay close to Him and allow Him to guide you every step of the way. While waiting, maintain your peace and joy, and free yourself from anxiety, over-reasoning and too much analysis. You’re not God, anyway, so how can you work out every little detail?
The important thing is to be attached to God, not to our plans, no matter how fantastic they are. This means that if, for some reason or the other, we know that God wants us to do something apart from our plans, we should delight in obeying Him, instead of falling apart at the prospect of ditching our carefully thought out, well laid plans.
His grace is sufficient for us, and His strength is active when we are weak.
