When God Says, ‘Wait!’

Have you ever thought about why you have to be put in a position to ‘wait’ for certain things in life? Actually, we are ALL waiting for something. When God says, ‘Wait’ it’s always for a good reason. It’s always for the greater good of our lives. I was gifted this book in 2016 called, ‘When God Says Wait,’ by Elizabeth Laing Thompson. In it, she laid out her waiting seasons in life, most extremely painful and connected them to waiting seasons by powerful women in the Bible. My objective with this post is to provide you with some reassurance that your waiting is not in vain. I would also like to give some tips on what to do to ease the waiting periods in life, no matter how painful!

Everyone of us is waiting for something. Whether big or small, we make our requests known to God and we wait. I know it’s hard when God says to wait. I am waiting for things right now also! Whether we know it or not, the waiting seasons transform us. Most of us are totally oblivious to what we need during waiting seasons. They are uncomfortable, lonely and down right awful if we let them. I like to use the analogy, God is taking us from ‘odd to awed,’ during seasons of waiting.We could be waiting for a job, a husband, a wife, a baby, physical healing in our bodies to a million other things. What God really wants us to do is to focus on him during these times in our lives. Those odd seasons of life can be used to get to know God on a deeper level. We can get to know ourselves better and can let these seasons polish and refine us in such a way to equip us with the answers that God will soon provide us with. Getting to know God on a deeper level is more important than the answer to what we are waiting for.

Here are 5 tips on what to do to be a good steward in a waiting season!

1. Reach out to family and friends who may be waiting on something too. It’s most often that loved ones around you could be strengthened by your story. Check on your strong friends.

2. Use social media less during waiting seasons. Comparison is the thief of joy. For some, social media is not the best place to be while we wait. Try to find other forms of entertainment like reading or music. My love for music stemmed from difficult seasons in my life!

3. Try to find strength by fellowshipping with your church family. As much as time will allow, go to church, Bible study and pray without ceasing. There could be someone who could be going through the exact same situation as you! 

4. Keep a gratitude journal. As humans, we should get into a habit of writing down our feelings. When tough times come, you’ll need to be reminded of what God told you!

5. Exercise and eat a healthy diet. It’s important to take care of your mental health during the waiting seasons that are harder than others.