The Spiritual Discipline No One Talks About: Waiting

Waiting is one of the hardest things we do as believers. We know how to pray. We know how to worship. We know how to serve. We can even learn to fast. But waiting? Waiting feels like doing nothing. We pray, then we wait for the answer. We ask God for direction and then we wait for clarity. We believe him for breakthrough, and then we wait for the door to open. And sometimes, the waiting seems to stretch on far longer than we expected. But what if waiting isn't wasted time? What if it is actually a spiritual discipline? 

Scripture is filled with people who had to wait. Abraham waited for the promised son. Joseph waited through years of slavery and imprisonment before seeing God's purpose unfold. David was anointed king long before he actually sat on the throne. Even Jesus spent years in preparation before beginning his public ministry. 

God does some of his deepest work in us while we're waiting for him to do something around us. Waiting teaches us to trust when we don't have answers. It teaches us patience when we want immediate results. It teaches us obedience when we don't know what comes next. And perhaps most importantly, waiting reminds us that God's timing is not the same thing as God's absence. 

Sometimes we think nothing is happening because we can't see anything happening. But roots grow in the dark. God may be preparing circumstances, preparing other people, or- perhaps most importantly- preparing us. So what do we do when we're waiting? We serve. 

When you find yourself in a season of waiting, so what waiters do...serve. 

Don't put your life on hold because you're waiting for the next chapter. Serve where you are. Love the people in front of you. Do the work God has already placed in your hands. Encourage someone who is struggling. Show up. Pray. Be faithful in the small things. 

You may be waiting for the right job, the right relationship, healing, an answer to prayer, a prodigal child to come home, a dream to become reality, or simply some clarity about what comes next. But when you're waiting for that, there is still a today to live. And today matters. Paul tells us in Galatians 6:9 not to become weary in doing good, because in due time we will reap a harvest if we don't give up. 

Notice that phrase: in due time. Not our time. Not our preferred time. His time. 

Waiting requires us to trust that God knows what we don't and sees what we cannot see. Maybe your season of waiting isn't an interruption to what God is doing. Maybe it is part of what God is doing so don't waste your waiting. Let God develop your character while you wait for the answer. Let Him deepen your faith while you wait for the breakthrough. Let him teach you contentment while you wait for the next opportunity. And while you wait, keep serving. 

Because faithfulness doesn't begin when the answer arrives. Faithfulness is what we practice while we're waiting for it. 

Reflection: What are you waiting for right now? Instead of asking only, "Will this season end?" ask, "What is God inviting me to learn, become, or do while I am here?"