The Benefits of Waiting
“The benefits of waiting.”
This is the phrase that came to mind as I left Michael Kors on Black Friday. Just a few months prior, I visited the very same store in search of a new handbag. After a while of intent shopping, I found one that I desired to purchase. Although I had the means to do so, I was forced to leave the handbag behind as I was led to wait. At the time, I didn’t understand why; but after receiving the deal I got on Black Friday, I realized why I was led to hold off on the purchase.
The entire store was 50% off, and each customer received a coupon as they entered the store which allowed them to take an additional 20% off of their purchase. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any better, they did when I got to the register. The handbag that I fell in love with a few months ago rang up $150 less than the price shown on the tag before the discounts were even applied. After all of the discounts were taken, I ended up walking away with a handbag and a wallet for $150 — which is less than what I would have paid for the handbag alone a few months back!
I know. Some of you may be thinking, “While I can’t deny that was a great deal, how could you possibly deny yourself the pleasure of having the handbag you wanted when you had the means to purchase it?” To be honest, I find it difficult at times to deny myself the instant gratification of purchasing something I desire to have; but time and time again, waiting, as the Holy Spirit leads me, has resulted in tremendous blessings (i.e. receiving more for less, saving money, or receiving the item(s) in the form of a gift from someone else). And while this practice of waiting has proven successful in the context of monetary purchases, I firmly believe that there are benefits to learning to wait on God in all situations.
Growing up, each time I shared with my mom how God blessed me in an unexpected way as a result of waiting to act, make a decision, or make a purchase, she would smile and say, “The benefits of waiting.” Though a very simple statement, those words carried great weight. I’m not even sure if my mom knew the effect her words were having on me; but each time she said them, she reinforced the values of patience, discipline, faith, and trust in God.
Living in a society that capitalizes off of people’s “gotta have it now” mentality and caters to their need for “drive-thru” convenience, the practice of waiting becomes even more challenging. Learning to do so, however, develops patience. Some of us can’t stand to wait five minutes in traffic, but many people in the Bible had to wait years before they experienced the manifestation of God’s promise in their lives. One of these individuals was David. While he is commonly referred to as a man after God’s own heart, I think we can also describe him as a man of great patience.
David learned at a very young age that he would become the king of Israel. However, he had to wait roughly 20 years before he was actually crowned king. I’m sure David wouldn’t have opted to wait nearly two decades before becoming king, but he gracefully embodied patience during this season of waiting. Often times we find ourselves frustrated when we’re required to go through seasons of waiting, but we must learn to trust God’s timing as he often uses this season to serve a purpose in our lives. For David, this season served as one of preparation — where God used this time to refine and equip him with the qualities needed to handle the weight of his call.
In addition to patience, waiting develops discipline – which in essence requires one to deny his or her self the pleasure of receiving or acting upon one’s desires. Although challenging, practicing discipline always lead to great benefits. For example, exercising and eating healthy food consistently requires discipline; but the rewards are an improved physical appearance and a healthy body.
Disciplining ourselves to refrain from committing acts of sin also leads to great rewards. For example, the Bible instructs us to flee fornication (1 Corinthians 6:18) to protect us from the negative physical, relational, and emotional consequences that sex outside of marriage can cause. When we learn to discipline ourselves to wait by saying no to our sexual [fleshly] desires, we position ourselves to experience the blessings that sex within the context of marriage provides.
Our faith is also strengthened when we learn to wait on God to fulfill His Word and promises in our lives. Chapter 11 of Hebrews is filled with countless examples of individuals who exemplified great faith. One of these individuals was Sarah, who received a word from God that she would conceive a child in her old age. Many would doubt the possibility of this occurring, just as Sarah did initially; but her faith enabled her to conceive and give birth to her son Isaac.
Waiting on God to act can also cause us to become anxious as we are prone to take matters into our own hands when we become impatient. However, Psalm 37:7 encourages us to “be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” This verse also encourages us “not fret when people succeed in their ways.” Remember, faith as described in Hebrews 11:1 is having “confidence in the things hoped for and assurance about things we cannot see.” Therefore, we must remain steadfast despite what our circumstances may look like, choosing instead to view them through our spiritual lens of faith.
Lastly, waiting builds our trust in God. Often times we don’t understand why God may be requiring us to wait; but when we look back, we realize that He had something greater in store for us. Proverbs 3:5-6 states, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Many times we feel that we know what’s best for our lives. However, this verse challenges us to seek God in every aspect of our lives to ensure that we are led along the path of His perfect will.
This is so important when it comes to relationships. So many times we think a particular person is “the one” or “Mr./Mrs. Right” but we end up with less than God’s best, because we didn’t take the time to seek Him first. Then, there are some of us who know the person is not God’s will for our lives, but we become so impatient that we settle for less. Waiting on God to fulfill our relational desires can be even more difficult when everyone around us is dating, engaged, or married. Even still, we must learn to trust the sovereignty of God and trust that He knows what’s best for us.
Although waiting can be hard, the benefits of doing so when God leads us to are great! In addition to developing our patience, discipline, faith, and trust in God, waiting most importantly develops intimacy with God as it requires us to seek Him and His will — which ultimately enables us to receive His best for our lives. So if you are currently in a season of waiting, be encouraged and know that God is working on your behalf!
Blessings,
Imanne