ARE YOU WILLING TO WAIT FOR GOD’S WAY?

“The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I hope in Him!  The Lord is good to those who wait for Him. To the soul who seeks Him.  It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”—Lamentations 3:24-26

 

Many Christians struggle to discipline themselves in the area of self-gratification.  There are so many things we want right now.  And to make matters worse, we usually have the ability to follow through on our desires.  That is what the entire credit industry is all about:  have it now; pay later!  A business woman told me that she had gone into needless debt because she felt pressured by the demands of her board members to expand the business more rapidly than what she knew God was leading her to do.  When God was showing her to hold steady in the business and not expand right then, she listened to her board members and the company is now in financial distress.

 

But finances are not the only area where we get into trouble.  Some people are in a hurry to be married and therefore make an unwise choice regarding a mate.  Others do not even see marriage as necessary and opt for premarital sex instead of waiting for the right person.  Or maybe you are just in a hurry to become successful and well-respected in your career, never giving any thoughts to whether your pursuit aligns with God’s plans for your life.

 

One reason the Lord wants us to wait is to protect us from our own self-destructive ways.  Those who can not say no to their own desires wind up enslaved to them.  God wants us to be mature believers who have the character and self-restraint to wait for Him to provide in His perfect time.  Because the heavenly Father is omniscient (all-knowing), He alone knows what is best.  You can trust that if He asks you to wait, He has something more wonderful in mind then you could ever provide for yourself. 

 

Does anything seem to have a power over you?  If so, it may be an area that requires the practice of self-control.  Begin to mediate on scriptures such as Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  Against such there is no law.”   Yield to the Lord and submit your desire to Him.  Then, begin saying no to temptations as you wait for God to reveal His will for your life.

 

Prayer—Father I repent for every time that I have not waited upon You and I have insisted upon my own way; I ask for Your forgiveness.  I ask You to help me practice self-control so that I am not pulled off of the right path for my life by selfish desires, in Jesus Name. Amen.