In the Waiting
The title of this is "In the Waiting."
I'm hoping this will speak to a bunch of people, including myself.
The waiting season is not necessarily a fun season. It is in the waiting that we can get frustrated, impatient, afraid, anxious, overthink, confused, depressed, etc. But it is also in the waiting where we can take it as an opportunity to grow.
Now, I don't mean grow as in physical. I mean, you can work on bettering yourselves, but I am mainly talking about the emotional, mental and spiritual side of things. We should take a waiting season as a time to learn. Here are six truths to get you through the waiting season.
1. God's timing is not your timing.
We tend to want to be in control, but if we're being honest, it never ends up working out the way we want it to. That's because God doesn't want us to be in control. He wants His will to be done through your life so that he can bless you with far more than you can imagine. When we are in control, we are playing the role of God and diminishing all that God can do. He is God, you are not. In his timing, things will work out.
2. We are not in control.
No matter how much we try to plan, organize, construct, etc. our own lives, God constantly ends up showing us that ultimately we are not in control.
3. Praise God Anyways
Just because you're in the waiting season, that does not mean that God doesn't deserve your praise. He is always going to be God, whether good circumstances or not. He is always with you- even if he seems absent. In the waiting season, focus on praising God and see what he will do for you.
4. Pray for Others
During your season of waiting, pray for others that you know are in the waiting season as well. Reach out to them and grab coffee. I have found that it is easier to walk through a season of waiting when someone else is at a similar place in life.
5. Waiting is an exercise in trust
We can say that we trust in God all we want, but if we don't live it out, do we really trust him? I know in my case, I have voiced that I trusted the Lord, but then I still tend to worry or stress out about the situation. That's not trusting. Trusting is giving complete control to the Lord no matter how you feel about the situation. After all, this life isn't yours. You're just a tool for the Almighty.
Here is some truth from the Word that has helped me to exercise my trust.
Deuteronomy 31:6
"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dismay, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. He will not leave you or forsake you."
Isaiah 41:10
"Do not fear, for I am with you."
Philippians 4:6-7
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
6. God is Faithful.
No matter what you may be facing at this current moment, the Lord is still faithful. He is actively pursuing your heart and walking right beside you through your darkest moments. Just like the verse says, "He will not leave you nor forsake you." Even if it doesn't end up working out exactly how you planned it in your mind, does not mean that he does not know what he is doing. Believe it or not, God does have your best interests in mind, but he also wants to protect you. He knows what he is doing way more than you know what you're doing. Ya'll, he literally constructed your life, just let it play out.
All of us experience seasons of waiting. We have a choice to either throw a pity party for ourselves, or we can embrace it. We can let fear and anxiety have a name, or we can allow God to transform our minds to fully trust in the One who designed our lives. I don't know about you, but that is very comforting to me. Even though none of us would directly choose to go through a season of waiting, we can use it as an opportunity to learn and grow from all that God is trying to teach us if we are receptive to it.