How to Endure God’s Timing
When it feels like God’s reneged on God’s promises, we can remember God’s character.
But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.
But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish
— 2 Peter 3:8–9;13–14
Early in the pandemic, several celebrities were slammed for social media posts where they lounged by their pools or in their posh homes, complaining about “the struggle” of sheltering in. While Covid-19 has forced entire nations to a halt this year, it’s also revealed not all waiting is created equal.
Some suffer more than others, and in a pandemic, those who suffer more may be so inclined to just be done.
To be done is to stop. It is to cease engaging, doing, working, trying.
Giving up on the hope that freedom and whole life is possible means we stop actively working to encourage change. Though understandable, this approach can actually be dangerous. If I stop wearing a mask and social distancing because I'm fatigued from waiting for a post-pandemic world, I only increase my chances of getting and spreading Covid-19.
Yet, the disappointment of multiple unmet expectations and desires can wear you down and disrupt your peace.
Amid so many stressors, traumas, and struggles, how do we maintain the will to keep pressing and still have a semblance of peace?
Of course, regular self-care and healthy mental, emotional, and spiritual support are always at the top of the list.
In addition to all those things, 2 Peter may have something for us to consider during this Advent season. This passage challenges us in a season of unmet expectations.
God’s concept of time is not our concept of time. Some of us have heard those words a million times, yet we sometimes still fear that the waiting for what we hope for will never end, or perhaps that we’re waiting in vain. What gives us the peace of knowing that not yet does not always mean not ever? Trust. The history we have with the character of a people or system matters.
Maya Angelo once said:
When a person shows you who they are, believe them.
Listen closely, again:
The Lord is not slow (or slack) in keeping God’s promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, God is patient (or long suffering) with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance.
Just as time is not the same for God as it for us, God’s character isn’t like any person’s we’ve ever known.
God doesn’t renege on promises made. We do. Families do. Systems do.
God’s character is love. God doesn’t just love, God is love.
And God’s love is without disparity.
God does not pick and choose who to love or when to love — God loves. And because of God’s love, God’s justice is also inevitable. Those who oppress need the accountability of justice in order to also have access to salvation.
As we wait for new heavens and earth where righteousness will be at home, our struggle with what feels like delayed justice on God’s behalf may be a misinterpretation of God’s loving character. God hasn’t forgotten us, but is patiently at work on bringing all of us — even those who cause harm — into right relationship.
Advent beckons us to the truth that hope is not seeing the way out, but knowing there always is a way out. Hope is knowing that God’s character is trustworthy. This offers enough peace while we wait for us to not give up.
What we experience as a delay from God is actually the reassurance that our hope is not in vain. It is the sign that Divine love for all without exception is intact, and therefore so are God’s promises.
Prophetic Practice:
Take a few moments to consider where in your life you have lost hope. What have you stopped praying for? Have an honest talk with God about it.
This is part 2 of Hush Harbor’s Advent series from Rev. Dr. Donna C. Battle. Click here to read Part 1: Why Disruption is Necessary for Change.
