Waiting on God (I) — Waiting or Wasting?

What does it mean really to wait? People often talk about how they are waiting on God for a situation or a matter. But we know that God is kind and he does not just make people wait for nothing.

Getting into this I’ll say this first that if your waiting is not anchored on God’s instruction, it should be called “wasting” because God’s instruction comes with an inherent grace to sustain us through the waiting process.

Don’t hide your fear to move or your procrastination under the umbrella of “waiting”, wait because you received an instruction. That is why it’s important that we learn how God speaks to us first.

Another thing to know is that your waiting time is not delay-time but development time.

“Even in times of trouble, we have a joyful confidence, knowing that our pressures will develop in us patient endurance. And patient endurance will refine our character, and proven character leads us back to hope. And this hope is not a disappointing fantasy, because we can now experience the endless love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us!” — Romans 5:3–5

We may not know or notice it, but waiting is producing a far exceeding weight of glory. Waiting is an internal job, before it is anything external. For example, in the context of relationship & marriage, your readiness to love another is the substance of your waiting, the attraction and eventual arrival of the spouse is the physical.

It has to be in you first before it is for you. Don’t just focus on what you are waiting to get, also focus on who you are becoming. So while we are waiting on getting, God is waiting on us becoming.

This explains why sometimes what we are praying for is completely different from what we get at the end of the day. Who we were when we started the waiting process is not always who we are when we finish, sometimes our motivations or even the answers we seek changes because the waiting changes us for the better.

Yes God has a plan for your life, but that plan is more an unfolding purpose than a detailed inflexible plan, our choices and decisions fill the details of our grand purpose. He gave us freewill, remember? God’s plan is more than a published story, but the script we co-author with Him as we live.

He is the author of our story, but we are the co-authors of our script. Let every chapter of your script be written with faith and courage, knowing that God’s story and plans are for God and that He has faith in you to co-author with him the story to a beautiful ending.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11

In waiting try not to make the answers you seek an idol, be open to the discovery. Enjoy the adventure, enjoy the ride. God is less about certainty but more about possibilities. Certainty is less exciting, it is all about comfort, safety and security. But possibilities are more about adventure and discoveries.

Don’t lock yourself to your limited options, walk on water with Him to discover new possibilities, at his word, launch your net into the deep of those fish-less waters. Remember God is the God for whom all things are possible not for whom all things are certain. Opposite of faith is certainty. Faith is about access to endless possibilities in God.

Fear not, make the move first, start the engine and let God take the wheel.

Romans 8:14–17 (MSG) highlights this:

“God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go! This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us — an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him!”

You’re a Son, there are things to do and places to go! Go!

[To be Continued]

Written by Ferdy Adimefe

Ferdy Adimefe is a serial entrepreneur passionate about culture and creative industrialization. He curates expressions centred on faith, innovation and technology. He is a Father, Husband, Author and conference speaker; He is also a Pastor at The Tribe Lagos.