Waiting in Faith

Patience - one of the greatest attributes one can possess. Life, in its very nature, includes a lot of waiting. The ability to keep calm in times of great anticipation makes life so much easier and allows you to appreciate whatever precedes the goal, place, or time you are trying to reach.

For some, patience comes easily. We often find ourselves justifying the hard, sometimes annoying feat of waiting as it usually entails a worthwhile reward. Whether the reward of our patience is as small as an ice-cold coffee at the end of a long line in a coffee shop or as grand as God’s guidance in a difficult situation or a time of uncertainty, we are willing to wait because we know that whatever comes next will better our lives in some way. We have faith in the barista making our drink just as we have faith in God that he will come through for us because we know that he is good and loves us.

For others, though, patience comes and goes. In insignificant situations such as waiting for the newest model of an iPhone to come out or for the school day to be over, we are willing to wait without grievance. However, when it comes to waiting for God and his plan for us, we sometimes choose to dismiss his role in our lives because we start to believe that he will never come through.

The gap that is left in times where we forgo our trust in God is so immense that we often turn to other things that provide us with instant gratification, leaving us with little satisfaction and a longing for something greater. We turn to seemingly harmless things such as social media, friends, and family. In worse cases, we might even turn to alcohol, romantic satisfaction, and in extreme situations, drugs. When we turn to these things, though, we are doing more harm than good because we are deviating from the paths God has laid out for us, as well as straying from the boundless grace and comfort that God provides. Obviously, relying on our friends and family to get us through difficult situations is always encouraged, but we must also remember that there might be times where we can’t turn to friends or family because they are what is causing us unrest in our lives. In that case, if we have turned our backs to God and have no support system on this Earth, we resort to problematic sources of solace.

Patience, now, is more important than ever as we wait out this global pandemic. Although we comply with social distancing, masks, and isolation measures, we all long for a “normal” way of life to come again. But the Lord does not leave us without guidance and peace even in a time none of us would have ever expected. Psalm 37:7 states “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!”

Of course, there have been many times where I find myself upset with the current situation, and doubting God and his ability to bring us out of it. But this verse reminds me that I should not be upset at God because he will come through for me in the end. I know He is fighting for me, I know He has NEVER let me down, and for that, I am abundantly grateful. It may take time and it might not be pleasant, but remaining steadfast in our faith and our patience in Him is the only thing that will bring us comfort in the end.

Written by Annika H.