In the Waiting

Waiting is a big problem. In our Western culture alone, “quick and convenient” is our addiction. We’re much faster and way more evolved, technologically speaking. Just about every daily task you and I take on, someone has created a suitable solution to speed things up. The modern world is built to get you what you want faster and without breaking a sweat—yet ironically, we’ve become less patient.

At this very moment, I’d say we could easily presume that innovative companies are competing to improve a digital item or household brand to accomplish its purpose quicker. Who can blame them, when consumers are willing to dish out more money if the two-minute model can comply in one-minute?

Do not get me wrong; I am a fan of high-tech toys. I’m sure I possess some of the same gadgets that the average person uses to function throughout the day. The point here is to recognize that there is a menacing mentality deeply rooted in the traits of humanity that completely affects our spiritual advancement, and that is this: we do not do waiting very well.

You probably won’t find patience towering at the top spot of virtues we diligently pursue. We do not like to wait, we do not want to wait, and even the sound of someone telling us to “wait just a moment” can disturb us. To a Western mind, patience can feel more like a punishment than a prize. Patience is only perceived as a way of learning how to cope with setbacks as we drag ourselves through difficult or delayed times.

In the book of James, he presents a belief countering the cultural status quo. His letter opens with a punch by telling believers they should be thrilled—better yet, joyful—when they experience the typical grueling, lengthy trial, because there is a bright reward in the testing of their faith. Yes, my friend—you will gain the reward of patience! That’s right! The pay-off is enduring patience. This might not sound much like a win, especially if our relationship with the idea of waiting is traditionally sour; but it is actually one of the greatest outcomes we could ever hope for.

In the following verse, to reinforce his opening statement, James indicates what we should expect once patience and endurance begin to take form.

"And then as your endurance grows even stronger it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking."

(James 1:4 TPT)

Patience is not just a discipline or a method of restraint to keep us less agitated when things do not progress quickly enough. Patience is not the ability to “hang in there,” or “keep your chin up,” so that we persevere without causing too much of an annoyance to others around us. James reveals a greater purpose—IN THE WAITING, I’M BECOMING.

In that space of time, God is there perfecting every part of my being. Training, pruning, plowing, shaping, testing, and growing—until, as the scripture said, ”there is nothing missing and nothing lacking” (James 1:4 TPT). To experience the freedom of living the full expression of what God intended for me to be, seems to always be constructed in the waiting. No wonder James invites us to express joy when we are facing a time in life where faith and patience are required. He knows that we are heading in the direction of destiny.

Make or Break

Waiting will always be a part of the faith walk. Nobody gets a way out, especially if we plan on following Jesus and finishing the glorious race assigned to our life. Perhaps you are in that position at this moment. You might be waiting for the Lord to lift a burden weighing on you; or maybe you’re on a quest to build something pertaining to your calling and there are obstacles in the way. Perhaps you have been waiting for a certain revelation to propel a promise, or a financial breakthrough to lift a debt or fund a vision. Whatever type of advancement you are believing for scripturally or prophetically, in many cases, there is a process before the promise—and some will be longer than others.

So that you do not misunderstand my heart, I am a Christian who burns with faith for the here and now miracle. I live with a conviction that the power of God can arrive at the exact time a prayer is spoken or when a decree is released. I did not write this book to ignore that absolute possibility. Rather, I wrote this book to deal head-on with the topic of waiting, solely because that is the realm where many of God’s elect either rise to new heights in the spirit or fall in a deep place of despair. It is a zone that literally makes or breaks us, proves our loyalty, and reveals the few kinks we still need to work out in our lives.

Either way, we will all experience the waiting. We will all have a chance for God’s strategic, clay-shaping hands to form, fashion, and develop everything we were designed to be. We all know that an infant cannot possibly crossover to adulthood in a short period of time. They must develop through the natural stages of growth to blossom in age and stature. Similarly, we also require a pace that shifts us from one level to another.