3 Tips for Waiting Well

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10:36 NIV

 Are you in a waiting season? Yeah, me too. Sometimes it feels like forever when you are waiting for something. God has made us to crave resolution. Maybe it’s so that we long for heaven. Whether it’s an unresolved chord, a fractured relationship, an incomplete sentence, or a situation in progress we naturally bend toward the resolution. We want to skip to the end, play the chord, fix the relationship, finish the sentence. But life doesn’t work that way, does it? You and I are in good company, though. How many times do the psalms ask God, “How long, Lord?”

So, what do we do while we are waiting? We persevere. We keep living. We keep hoping. We keep looking to God. Easy to say. Not easy to do, right?

So, here are a few tips for waiting well. I need them just as much as you do!

Be honest with yourself and with God. You may feel like faith should put a positive spin on everything. I used to do that. But the truth is faith sees reality as it is and still chooses to believe. It may be hard to admit how you really feel, but a key to waiting well is to admit that you don’t want to be waiting and to deal with all the emotions that come up during this unwanted season.

If you are disappointed or scared, tell God about it. If you are angry, be honest and tell God about it. Faith trusts that God can deal with honest emotions and still be a loving King.

Being able to tell God how I honestly feel makes it bearable. Those feelings aren’t stuffed down and sticking out in places where they can cause damage to someone else. I haven’t been irritable or blaming the people in my life. If it’s a person that I’ve been disappointed with, I’ve been able to talk to God about it and bring the emotion to a place where the relationship with that person is still okay.

Waiting is hard enough. Don’t make it harder on yourself by ignoring or intentionally stuffing how you really feel. Be honest.

Ask God for grace.  Waiting times are often when we feel like God is farthest away, but the truth is He is closer than ever. He doesn’t let us walk through it alone. Ask Him for the help you need to persevere. Ask Him to show you where He is when you can’t see Him. Ask Him to help you trust that He really is working things out for good.

You may feel like God is testing you and you need to prove something to Him. Tests are designed to show what we already know. If God is testing you, then it isn’t to prove anything to Him. It’s to prove to you that you have what it takes. He already knows that you do!

But, in the end, you still don’t do it alone. He is near. He is holding you by the hand, not only to lead but to keep you from stumbling. Like the toddler’s daddy who holds her up when she trips and keeps her from getting hurt. He really is there.

I love how the New Living Translation puts Psalm 37:23-24. The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. 24 Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. You won’t fall, my friend! Daddy’s got you!

Look for the learning. Sometimes the external resolution we are looking for is not the resolution God has for us. His goal is to make us more like Jesus. Our goal is often to avoid discomfort.

What are you learning about yourself? About God? How are you handling this waiting season better than previous ones? What did you learn in the last waiting season that is helping you now? What might you be learning now that will help you in the next one? How is this waiting season working the character of Christ in you?

Waiting is a season. It’s part of every season. Think about it. In spring, the seeds go into the ground and we wait for them to sprout, for the trees to leaf out, for the flowers to bloom. In summer, we wait for the crops to grow, the fruit to develop, for the vegetables to ripen. In fall, we wait for the leaves to change color and to fall to the ground. In winter, we wait for the snow to come and then wait for it to melt away!

Waiting is part of every season. But every season does come to an end and gives way to the next one.  Every waiting season does come to an end, Dear Friend. This season you are in right now will come to an end and so will mine. Let’s be honest that we’d rather not be waiting, but while we are, let’s ask God for the grace we need to wait well. Let’s look for the learning so that when this season does end, and it will, we can take a harvest of learning with us. Let’s let the character of Christ grow in us while we wait.

I am with you, friend, but more than that. He is with you. Remember that and wait well.

Key Question: What are you learning in this waiting season?

A Scripture to Consider: “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10:36 NIV

A YES Challenge: Set a timer for ten minutes, close your eyes, and sit in silence before the Lord. What thoughts and emotions rise to the surface? Offer them to God in honesty. Ask Him for the grace to acknowledge them and to wait well in this season. When the time ends take time to offer God praise and thanks.

Prayer:Father, I don’t want to be waiting right now, but I am. Help me to see Your hand in this season. Help me be as honest as possible with You and with myself. I need grace to persevere and to trust You. You have what I need. You haven’t left me alone. Help me to learn and look to You while I wait. I can’t wait well without You. Amen.