Have you ever heard that famous saying, “Good things come to those who wait?” Well, they were right, but what they didn’t tell you is waiting is also good. I want to encourage you today, and tell you that not only do good things come to those who wait, but the actual act of waiting is also good. I know what you are thinking. “How in the world is waiting good? I hate waiting!” Let me explain. I have never liked the idea of waiting.
Counting Down The Days
I was always that kid who counted down the days until Christmas like it was the only day in the year that mattered. I would wait, impatiently, all year long for that glorious day to come. I would miss out on all of the other great things that happened throughout the year because I would compare them to Christmas. I hated waiting for the most wonderful time of the year. However, I made a decision to start enjoying the other holidays and seasons. I decided to embrace the waiting. Now, I embrace every season, with excitement. I have learned over the years that waiting is a process, and it is so important.
God loves to promise good things to us, His people. However, God also knows our hearts and He knows our need for growth. God loves to grow us through process. He uses our seemingly difficult circumstances to shape us into the man or woman He created us to be. The more I truly learn God’s process, and what it means for me, I learn to love it. It is in the waiting that I am strengthened. When my promise comes, I will be strong and wise enough to take it on.
I mean, look at the story of Joseph. He was so excited about the promise that God gave him, that he pushed it too strong and too early. It took him waiting on the Lord and working faithfully, in his current season, to walk in his promise. I am encouraged by this story because, in the end, he was a better man for it.
For those of you that are in a season of waiting or a season of process, you can take the opportunity to let it grow you by being proactive in worship, thanksgiving, prayer, guarding, standing on the Word of God, seeking advice from elders, and not giving up until it is yours. These are things we, as believers, should be practicing already. So, I want to focus more today on what I mean by “guarding”. Here are the three things you need to guard while waiting on your God-given promise:
1. Guard your intake.
If you are believing for something, don’t fill your mind with the opposite of what you’re believing for. For example, if you are believing for healing, do not watch documentaries on people living with your “condition”, and please, whatever you do, don’t Google it. Instead, make your intake testimonies of healing.
2. Guard your output.
Not everyone needs to know your business, because not everyone has your mountain-moving kind of faith. Instead, only allow a close, small group of people you trust, in on your promise until it arrives.
3. Guard your focus.
Don’t let your relationship with Jesus become consumed by what you’re wanting for. Jesus is not Santa Claus. He is our portion, and He alone is all we need. He alone is enough to satisfy. However, He loves us, and wants to bless us. So, instead, we should focus our attention, first, on Him.
Embrace The Waiting
Whatever it is God has promised you, hold onto it, and be willing to wait for it. You will be amazed by the outcome. Your heart will be so grateful for the time you spent preparing for it. Things that come easily, without challenge and waiting, do not get the same celebration as the things that do. Happy waiting!
