DARING TO WAIT
An American police officer was waiting on the side of the highway to catch speeding drivers. Just then a car came past puttering along at 22 MPH. He thinks to himself, “This driver is going dangerously slow.” So, he turns on his lights and pulls the driver over. Approaching the car, he notices that there are five old ladies -- two in the front seat and three in the back. The ladies are staring wide-eyed and motion-less. The driver, obviously confused, says to him, “Officer, what seems to be the problem? I was doing exactly the speed limit!?” The officer replies, “Excuse me ma’am but you were driving too slow. Do you know that driving slower than the speed limit can also be a danger to other drivers?” “Slower than the speed limit? No sir, I was doing the speed limit - exactly 22 miles an hour!” the old woman said proudly. The officer, trying to contain a chuckle explains to her that ‘22’ sign she saw was the highway number, the speed limit was 60. A bit embarrassed, the woman thanked the officer for pointing out her error. "But before I let you go, ma’am, I have to ask, is everyone in this car okay? These women seem awfully shaken and they haven’t muttered a single peep this whole time." "Oh, they’ll be all right in a minute officer. We just got off Highway 119."
Maybe you have felt like those women. Sometimes life is flying by at such a hectic pace you can hardly cope, other times it seems like you are just crawling along and everything and everyone is passing by you. Today we are continuing in our series Daring Faith. Today I want to talk about Daring to Wait.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace... 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
If you are like me, there are few things in life that make us more irritated than having to wait. Waiting in traffic. Waiting in a waiting room. Waiting in line at Walmart. Waiting... We don’t like waiting. Technology has made us much more accustomed to things fast. It has actually made us more impatient. What we need to understand is that waiting is an important part of life. It is an important part of character development and maturity. There are some things we only learn by waiting.
During the 1960s, psychologist Walter Mischel conducted what became known as "the marshmallow test" with four-year-olds in the preschool at Stanford University. The object of the exercise was to assess each preschooler’s ability to delay gratification. Each child was given one marshmallow. They were told that they could eat it immediately or, if they waited until the researcher returned in 20 minutes, they could have an additional two marshmallows. Some kids in the group just couldn’t wait. They gobbled down the marshmallow immediately. The rest struggled hard to resist eating it. They covered their eyes, talked to themselves, sang, played games, even tried to go to sleep. The preschoolers who were able to wait were rewarded with two additional marshmallows when the researcher returned.
Twelve to fourteen years later the same kids were re-evaluated. The differences were astonishing. Those who had been able to control their impulses and delay gratification as four-year-olds were more effective socially and personally as teenagers. They had higher levels of self esteem and self-confidence. They were more trustworthy and were able to deal better with stress. Remarkably, even their grades were better. What the research shows from this study is that a key difference between successful people and those who struggle to get by is self-discipline. It is their ability to wait.
Immature child do not know the difference between “no” and “not yet.” They see delay always as a negative. The problem is that we sometimes grow older without growing up. The inability to wait is the cause of so many problems in our lives. Our inability to delay gratification is the cause of all debt. It is the cause of many social problems. The inability to delay sexual gratification until marriage if the source of so much brokenness in our world today.
There are some things we only learn through waiting. There are times we pray for things and God says ‘not yet.’ In the passage we just read it says;
Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
God knows what He is doing. There are times we do not understand, but God always know what He is doing, and always is on time. So why do we have to wait sometimes? Three things;
a. There is a natural delay between sowing and reaping.
Anyone who has a garden knows this. If you plant a seed today do not expect to go out tomorrow and pick tomatoes. There is always a delay between planting and harvesting.
We are sometimes like the little girl who had a nice piggy bank. One day her father talked to her about putting her money into a savings account at their bank so that it could grow. She decided that was a great idea. The next day she went to the bank with her dad. They opened the account and she gave her piggy bank to the woman to empty and deposit. After the money was deposited, she just stood there and stared at the woman. "Is there something else I can do for you?" the woman asked. The little girl answered, "No, I’m just waiting on my interest!" It does not work that way, does it?
b. There is an unseen battle raging.
There is a spiritual war raging all around us. In the book of Daniel, we read that Daniel asked God a question and an angel was sent to deliver the answer but the angel was delayed because of the spiritual warfare that was going on. The delay was not a denial. There are times we pray for things and do not receive an immediate answer. That does not mean that God has said no, it just means that there is more happening than we understand.
c. God us preparing us
There are times that we ask God for things and He tells us ‘Not yet’ because we are not ready for it. God is preparing you for a blessing, and He knows that giving you what you want today may get in the way of Him giving you what you need tomorrow.
Romans 8:24-25 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Some of you here know what it is like to be pregnant. There is a reason it is called ‘expecting.’ Those 9 months can seem like forever. There are times we may wish that God could somehow speed up the process. However, the time is necessary for the baby to develop.
So, what do you do when you find yourself in the waiting room of life? How do you WAIT? Using the word WAIT as an acrostic you do four things;
1. WRITE – record the lessons you are learning
When you are in the waiting room of life it is important that you take note of what you are learning. These times of waiting are often times God is preparing us for what comes next, so it is good to take the time to reflect and write down what you feel that God is saying to you. In my own life there have been key times of decision making and transition where I took the time to write down what God was saying to me. In each case it opened a new phase of ministry in my life.
God wants us to grow. He is far more interested in your character than your comfort. The power of writing down the things that you are learning is so that you will remember them and learn from them. God does not want us to have to learn from our mistakes over and over again. It is a bad way to learn things. He does not want us to be like the children of Israel who had to walk around the desert in circles for 40 years until we learned the lesson. God tested them 7 times, and each time they failed they would have to go around again.
Some of you are in the wilderness right now. Remember that the way to the Promised Land is through the wilderness. Jesus had to go through the wilderness before He began His ministry, and so will you. The question is how long will you stay there. That depends on how long it takes for you to learn what God is trying to teach you. Taking the time to reflect and record what God is saying to you helps.
Numbers 33:1-2 Here are the stages in the journey of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt by divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. 2 At the LORD's command Moses recorded the stages in their journey. This is their journey by stages:
A man was visiting a local department store with his wife, and they had just picked out a piece of luggage and a cooler. As he was waiting for his wife to finish the rest of her shopping, he went up to the furniture department and sat down in a comfortable chair. A store clerk walked by and asked if he could be of assistance. “No, thank you," the man said, “I’m just waiting for my wife." At that point, a man behind him who had heard the conversation spoke up and said, "I’m waiting for my wife, too, but I never thought to bring lunch and an overnight bag."
If you seem to be in a holding pattern, if you feel like you are in the waiting room of life make the most of it. Ask God to teach you and be ready to learn the lesson. Take the time to WRITE – that is number one.
2. ACT – live as though you already have it
When you are in the waiting room of life it is important that you do not put your life on hold but that you keep moving forward. You need to walk in faith and act as if you already have it.
When you plant a seed, you do not then just forget it. You think that all you have to do is throw a seed in the ground and then walk away. No, you tend it, you water it, you support it. There is always time between when the seed is planted and when the harvest comes, but during that time you are not inactive. When a woman is pregnant, she prepares for the upcoming birth. You throw a baby shower. You go out and buy strollers and high chairs and cribs. You are reading books on parenting and taking a class on childbirth. You are preparing for the baby before you have even seen it. You are active.
Unfortunately, what often happens when we are waiting on God is that do 3 things that are counter productive. Instead of preparing we WONDER and we WORRY and we WHINE. We wonder, “How long is this going to take Lord? How are you going to do this?” Then we worry, “What if it does not happen? What if I am unable to do this or I miss the opportunity?” Then we wine, “Why me Lord? Why do I have to go through this…?” This is all counter productive. You do not wonder or worry or wine, you WALK in faith.
Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
This is an interesting verse. Whatever you ask for in prayer believe that you have received it. Notice the change in tense. You believe (present) that you have received (past) and it will be (future)…
What is Jesus saying here? He is telling us to walk in faith. When you thank God after you get the answer to your prayer, that’s called gratitude. When you thank God before you get the answer to your prayer, that’s called faith.
Imagine a person that is out of work. They are believing God for a new job, but they are not doing anything about it. They are getting up late, walking around in their pajamas. Not having a shower until 4 in the afternoon. Sitting in front of the TV. Waiting for the phone to ring and have someone offer them the job of their dreams that they did not even apply for. Does that sound realistic?
No, if you are praying for a job than you act like you already have one. You are getting up early, having a shower and shaving. You are out in your work clothes knocking on doors and following up leads. You are actively pursuing what you are praying for.
Waiting is not passivity. You do all you can to get ready. There is a difference between passively waiting in fear and apathy and expectantly waiting in faith where you take action. You get prepared and you act as though you already have it.
God changed Abrams name to Abraham (father of many nations) 25 years before he would have a child. That is faith. God called Gideon a “mighty man of valor” while he was still hiding. That is faith. Jesus said to Peter “You are a rock” while he was anything but. That is faith.
A gardener for a large estate in northern Italy was conducting a visitor through the castle and the beautiful, well-groomed grounds. As the visitor had lunch with the gardener and his wife, he commended them for the beautiful way they were keeping the gardens. He asked, "By the way, when was the last time the owner was here? He said, "I was about ten years ago." The visitor asked, "Then why do you keep the gardens in such an immaculate, lovely manner?" He said, "Because I’m expecting him to return." He persisted, "Is he coming next week?" The gardener replied, "I don’t know when he is coming, but I am expecting him and ready for him today." Although he didn’t come that day, he was living in the light of the owner’s imminent return. He was busy, not passive.
Write what God is teaching you, act as though you have it through faith.
3. IMITATE – develop habits that grow your faith
When you are in the waiting room of life it is important that you learn to develop healthy habits that will grow your faith. To do this it is important to be around other people who are modeling the type of faith you want to have. You find those people and then you imitate them, you follow that pattern.
Hebrews 6:12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
When you are waiting, don’t be lazy. Don’t sit around passively doing nothing. Be proactive and imitate those who through faith and patience inherited what God has promised. So, when you’re going through a period of waiting it is important to have a mentor.
If you are waiting, use it as a time to grow. Be proactive. Again, waiting is not inactivity. It is not idleness. It’s not laziness. It is not passivity. It is not apathy. Waiting is the time to develop habits and skills that you’re going to use later on.
I suspect there are a lot of people who feel okay about a half-hearted relationship with Jesus, because they have every intention of one day going all in and being completely committed. They don’t feel convicted about not following Jesus because in their minds they know that one day they will. They let themselves off the hook for a lukewarm faith because they didn’t tell Jesus no; they’re just waiting till later. -- Kyle Idleman
You write what you are learning, and act in faith and imitate the faith of others …
4. TRUST – live a life of faith, not fear
When you are in the waiting room of life it is important that you trust God instead of panicking. When it comes to waiting there are 2 things to remember, God is never in a hurry and God is never late. God’s timing is always perfect.
Remember the time that Mary and Martha’s brother Lazarus got sick. He was a friend of Jesus, but when he got sick Jesus did not rush back to see him before he died. He took his time. When He finally arrives, Mary and Martha think He is too late. They believe that Jesus missed the opportunity to heal him. However, Jesus was right on time. The raising of Lazarus from the dead set the stage for what would happen next.
God has a plan for your life. He knows what He is doing. God knows where he wants to take you in the coming month, the next year and the next decade. His plan for you is a good plan. You just need to trust him. When you are in the waiting room you need to take the time to write and to act and to imitate, but in the end, you just need to trust. You need to remember that God is never early and never late. Keep on sowing, keep on sharing and keep on serving because God’s timing is perfect.
One of the things that we as Canadians do not see in our gardens because of our climate is bamboo. It is a very interesting plant. You cut a piece of bamboo off and then you stick it in the ground. And you water it for a year and nothing happens. You water it and care for it but nothing happens. Then comes the second year and again, nothing happens. You water it and care for it but nothing happens. Then comes the third year and again, nothing happens. You water it and care for it but nothing happens. Then the fourth year and the fifth year and the sixth year. All the time you are watering and fertilizing and tending to the plant. On the seventh year it sprouts and takes off. It can grow up to ninety feet in 6 weeks. Some bamboo during this period can grow one meter in just twenty-four hours. When it takes off it really takes off.
Some of you may feel like that bamboo tree. You have been waiting. You are planting and watering but not seeing much growth. Your life is like bamboo. And you may have been thinking I have been working on this and working on this and working on this and I have been studying the Bible and I have been serving, I have been tithing, I have been believing, I have been planting seeds. You may be in year six. Don’t give up. Because when that thing sprouts, it just takes off.
Some of you think that you have been waiting on God, but that is really not the case. Maybe the reality is that God has been waiting on you. God is waiting for you to step out in faith and not fear. That is what this series on Daring Faith is all about. It is about being willing to step out and follow your dreams even though it is scary. Even though you do not have all the answers.
Psalms 56:3-4 When I am afraid, I will trust in you. 4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?
Step out in faith. Maybe it is in the area of tithing that we talked about a few weeks ago. Maybe it is being baptized like we saw last week. Maybe it is in serving or being obedient to God’s call in your life to go overseas in missions. Whatever it is, dare to do it. If you are waiting for the conditions to be just right, God is content to just wait as well. But you are going to miss out on so much.
Do not wait; the time will never be "just right." Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along -- George Herbert
In April 2011 Prince Charles became the longest serving heir apparent in British history. Charles overtook the record set by his great-great grandfather king Edward VII, having waited 59 years, 2 months and 14 days. That is quite a record for a monarchy that stretches back over 1,100 years.
Waiting 60 years to be king is one thing. What is it that you have been waiting for? Write what you are learning, act in faith, imitate the faith of others and trust that God knows what he is doing in your life.
