Don’t Grow Impatient With God

Proverbs 13:12 – „Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. „

Some things that we desire so much, seem to drag on and on, and as time goes by – the delay can be depressing. Yet, when at last those very desires of our heart become a reality – you find satisfaction and the life’s sweetness in your soul.

In the Bible, various impatience scenarios are depicted. For instance,

Abraham was way advanced in age, yet He was still waiting on God’s promise for a son – Isaac.

The children of Israel had waited on God’s deliverance from the slavery land of Egypt – yet overstayed fr an additional 40 years than the stipulated 400 years. After they were freed, while about to cross the Red Sea, and Pharaoh’s army appeared from a distance. chasing after them – their impatience grew.

The Parable of the bridesmaid and the bridegroom, they waited till past midnight – yet they were burning oil in their lamps, till some of them had nothing left and seemed to be in the dark, only to miss the bridegroom’s coming, as they had gone to look for extra oil.

While expecting something, it still costs you something. Both the hope and patience that keep you company while waiting, is like gas in a car. You may start on a journey with the gas tank full, but after a while, you need to refill. Same for us, when it comes to „waiting“.

As a student, looking up to your graduation but before the final semester, something happens and you suffer a setback; to a point that you begin to wonder if you’ll ever get to graduate.

Maybe you are unmarried and have desired to have a lifelong partner, only that everyone you’ve come across doesn’t fit in well with your desires and expectations – yet time is ticking and you are starting to get worried.

Something that you long for and keeps taking forever to show up – if you’re not careful, you could get worn down while waiting.

Those terminally ill get depressed faster due to their patience on healing running out. Some have committed suicide, just to escape the pain – yet, if only they’d have waited a little longer…

Some of the married couples are trying to find their relationship rhythm, it seems like they can’t find it yet. There are frustrations and changes occurring and somehow the couple seems to be drifting apart – and they are growing impatient. Should they choose to call it quits, they would probably end up marrying other partners, and if the rhythm isn’t there – they would break off after a while.

There are things we don’t see while waiting. God never allows us to see that part.

How to renew your patience while waiting on God

If you’re still waiting, it means you haven’t given up yet!

If you are not willing to wait, then you choose to lose and when you want it, you’ll have to start all over again and still stagnate on the waiting process.

Waiting is necessary – to test both our ability to hold on to expectations, it helps us express our maturity in form of Faith being tested when waiting on God, helps us prepare and make room before the expected time arrives, and also, waiting helps us avoid making a mistake that was unintended.

It’s one thing to wait on something/someone that’s getting ready; and it’s another to wait for someone or something that’s unavailable. Waiting and seeing no change is frustrating – and this is not what our God purposes.

So, while you wait – do this:

• Pray that He takes full control, and then remain standing still – out of the knowledge you have on God, you know that He will show up in His time and not your time. Don’t develop a wrong attitude and lay it on God – you’ll be regarded unfaithful and unworthy, even while waiting. Don’t opt for the shortcut, even when tempted, still know that „all things work together for good to them that love God“ (Roman 8:28)
• Thank Him – what He’s done for you before, currently, and what you expect; thank Him in prayer. Meditate on His many blessings. This will shift our focus onto who He is (promise keeper, way maker), from what you expect from Him (the promise, the way). Don’t get stressed, instead relax, given that everything is working out in your favor – whether you can recognize it or not,