FAITH THAT WORKS WEEK 5:

DON’T WASTE THE WAIT

In 2002, J. G. Wentworth (a financial services company) launched an ad campaign focused on people waiting on structured settlements, annuities, and lottery pay-outs; in the ad, the company offered lump-sum cash settlements to the customer. The sentence “It’s my money and I need it now” became the catchphrase that launched one of the most well-known and successful ad campaigns of the early 2000s. In 2006, basketball coach Rick Pitino coined the phrase “microwave society” which is defined as a fast-paced modern lifestyle focused on instant gratification, rapid communication, and quick convenience.  Every one of us has probably used the phrase “I can’t wait” at some point in our lives when we are excitedly anticipating some event or occurrence. What used to take several days to receive from the postal service now is on our computer screen or our mobile phone in a matter of seconds. Frozen dinners that took 30 minutes in the oven now can be turned around and eaten in just a couple of minutes.

As a culture we have become not very good at waiting. We can become bitter or allow stress and boredom to set in. But waiting isn’t the problem. We will have to wait at some point in our lives. It is inevitable. The real question is, what will we do with the wait when it comes?

James tells us we should be patient, and he tells us to consider the farmer who plants and waits for the plants and the harvest that will come. The farmer knows he won’t get the end result on the day he plants the seed, but that doesn’t stop him from putting it in the ground. 

So why should we embrace the wait? It builds patience, self-control, and character by teaching our brains to manage impulses and accept delays. It provides a pause to think before we act or speak, allowing us to weigh other options or alternatives as necessary. It could protect us. Too often, impetuousness and hurry can put us in a bad or unsafe space. But most importantly for us as Jesus-followers, God is working in our waiting. We can recall and remember God’s faithfulness to us in the past, and that can strengthen our resolve during the wait. It can reinforce our trust in a God that loves us and wants the best for us, and it can allow him to prove again just how great he really is. Remember, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 (NLT)