Wait

Scripture: Genesis 3:1-7

Have you ever lost your cool with a sibling or family member? Been behind the wheel and went straight road rage? Lost your mind waiting for a package or letter to be delivered? 

We’ve all been there. 

Why do we feel this way? Where does impatience come from?

I think it often comes from our desire to be in control. 

Eve, rather than trusting in God’s plan and timing, took things into her own hands and ate of the fruit. She sought control.

We often do the same. We try and take control of situations, and when things don’t go the way we plan or want, we grow frustrated and impatient.

You see, impatience happens when we elevate our own importance. It happens when people don’t meet our expectations or time-frames.

So, next time you grow impatient, here is a phrase you can say to yourself: I’m not God and I’m not in control. 

Scripture: Psalms 37:1-7

One reason we grasp for control of our lives is that we don’t always believe God has our best interest in mind. 

We see all of the bad in our world and in our lives and wonder when God is going to act. We wish he’d speed up and do something – now!

David was no stranger to conflict or troubles. He spent much of his younger years running from King Saul who was out to kill him. He dealt with one of his kids trying to seize control of the throne. David fought in battles and was no stranger to war. 

He went through a lot. 

And yet, here he is saying, no matter what the enemy is up to – trust in God. Have patience in God’s timing. Trust that he has your best interest in mind and will take care of you.

Does this mean the painful situations and circumstances in our lives will hurt less? No. 

But we can shift our perspective. 

Whatever you’re going through, before you try and take control of the situation – go to God. Ask him what he might be trying to teach you in this situation. Ask for his guidance and wisdom as you navigate whatever comes your way.

Scriptures: Ephesians 4:1-3, Colossians 3:13

When someone makes a mistake, how do you respond?

Do you call them out, get upset with them, and allow your anger and frustration to show? Do you talk bad about them behind their back?

Or do you approach them with gentleness and understanding? 

Paul reminds Jesus followers that we are to be filled with patience and bear with one another in love.

The idea of bearing with one another implies that conflict and tension exists. Another way you could put it is – put up with one another. 

We are to learn to love and show patience towards the people that drive us crazy.

Of course, that’s easier said than done. 

Next time someone is driving you towards impatience, pause. Pray and ask God to give you patience at that moment and to treat the other person with love and kindness.

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:8

Next time you’re about to lose your cool because someone else’s mistake is costing you – remind yourself of what your mistakes cost Jesus. 

You aren’t perfect. 

God is patient with you. You mess up time and time again, and yet God is there with love and forgiveness. 

God delivered on his promise to rescue you from sin. 

That’s the whole reason Jesus died and rose again. 

When you feel impatience, allow that to prompt and remind you that you have an opportunity to exemplify the patience God shows you each and every day. 

Scripture: Luke 8:40-56

When’s the last time you were interrupted?

I don’t know about you, but it can be easy to get upset and lose patience when we’re doing our thing and something unwanted or unexpected comes up. 

In the passage you just read, a man named Jairus came to Jesus and told him his 12-year-old daughter was dying. 

Jesus agreed to go to Jairus’ house to heal his daughter. On the way to Jairus’ house, a woman who had been sick for many years came out from the crowd and touched Jesus’ robe. There was an interruption – a change of plans. 

What did Jesus do? He stopped. He gave the woman his full attention, asked her some questions, spent time with her, and healed her. 

Now, imagine you’re Jairus. How would you have responded?

I don’t know about you, but I would be a bit upset, confused, maybe even mad at Jesus. I would be thinking, “Come on, man! We have to go. NOW!” 

Now, we don’t know for certain how Jairus responded. The text doesn’t say.  

There’s no mention of Jairus saying anything. To the best of our knowledge, he didn’t tell Jesus to hurry up or remind Jesus about his dying daughter. 

We can infer that Jairus stood there waiting for Jesus to get done healing this woman. He stood by patiently. 

Instead of acting out in anger or frustration towards Jesus, Jairus showed understanding. 

Do you have that kind of patience? Do you have the kind of patience that can stand by and wait when things don’t go according to plan? What might it look like to show understanding to someone else or a situation the next time you’re interrupted?

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Have you ever seen those pictures of owners who look like their pets? Or couples who look eerily similar?

It’s been said that, over time, we grow more like those we spend time with. This may or may not be true of appearance, but it’s definitely true of character traits and qualities. 

The same is true of our relationship with Jesus. 

As you spend time with God, you’ll become more like him. 

Paul talks about this reality in Galatians. As you spend time with God and allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life, certain qualities begin to grow in you. Paul refers to these qualities as the fruit of the Spirit. 

We’ve talked a lot about patience over the past several days. The truth is, there’s no short-cut to developing patience. It won’t happen overnight. It’s something that grows in you as you follow Jesus and spend time with him. 

Do you have a regular time that you spend with Jesus? Is it part of your daily rhythm and routine? If not, what can you do to add that in?

Scripture: Luke 8:40-56

You might think, didn’t I just read this passage a couple days ago? 

Yes. Yes, you did. 

It’s always good to revisit different texts. As you read and re-read the Bible, you’ll notice that things strike you differently. You may notice something today that you didn’t notice the other day. A different word or phrase may jump out at you. 

The last time we looked at this passage, we looked at Jairus’ response. 

Today, let’s take a look at Jesus. 

A famous Christian teacher and author, Dallas Willard, was once asked to describe Jesus in one word. His word? Relaxed.

Think about that. Jesus was never in a hurry. 

Jesus never rushed from one place to the other. Today’s passage is a prime example. 

Jesus was on his way to heal a dying girl, but that didn’t stop him from pausing and having a moment with a woman who was in need. He wasn’t afraid to slow down – even when it seemed inconvenient. 

While patience is something God ultimately grows in us, we can take after Jesus’ example and put ourselves in situations that demand patience. We can put ourselves in situations that require us to rely on God’s power to help us.

You can practice patience. 

Here are just a few ideas on how to practice patience:

• Intentionally choose the longest line at the store.
• Walk slower.
• Drive the speed limit.
• Turn your phone on ‘do not disturb’ for a day, so you don’t feel like you have to immediately respond to messages.

Scriptures: Genesis 15:4-5, Genesis 16:1-3

Have you ever wished you were further along in life than you are? 

Maybe you’ve reached a point where you’re ready to be done with high school and graduate. It’s gotten to the point where you’re not giving your best efforts anymore. Your attitude has taken a turn for the worst. 

Or maybe you keep tripping up in the same way. You wish you were further along in your faith and keep praying and asking God to help you in this area, but nothing seems to be changing. You may start to feel impatient with God or feel like he’s not really there for you.

There are a million situations that can cause us to feel this way. 

While it’s awesome to look forward to and get excited about the future, there are points when it can grow into discontent or restlessness. We grow impatient with our current circumstances.

Abram and Sarai were getting old and desperately wanted a child. They waited for a time but weren’t getting any younger. So, they took things into their own hands. 

Sarai gave Abram her servant, Hagar, to sleep with. Long story short, Hagar became pregnant and gave Abram a child, Ishmael. However, it didn’t come without a cost – it left people feeling bitter, hurt, and betrayed. You’ll have to read the entire story for all the details.

Abram and Sarai weren’t patient in the process. 

God had good things planned for them. He would eventually give them a child of their own, Isaac. However, Abram and Sarai grew impatient with their circumstance and rushed ahead of God. 

Don’t rush ahead of God. Don’t get so focused on someday that you miss out on what God has for you this day.

Scripture: Isaiah 40:31

Isaiah writes to a group of people who have been living in exile for 70 years. They had begun to feel a sense of hopelessness and believe that God had forgotten about them and abandoned them. 

Maybe you can relate.

Isaiah tells this group of people to wait on the Lord.

This idea of waiting on the Lord is a recurring theme throughout Scripture. It shows up 14 times in Psalms and several more times throughout the Old Testament. 

But, what does it mean to wait on the Lord?

In essence, it’s a lifestyle of patience – it’s trusting God in all circumstances and with all people – even when things don’t seem to be going your way.

To wait on the Lord is to acknowledge you don’t have control over the situation, and instead, choosing to put your trust in the God who does. 

Is your heart waiting on the Lord? Do you trust him? Are you able to let go of the myth of control in your circumstances and faithfully do the very best God is enabling you to? 

What situation in your life right now do you need to hand over to God and say, “God, I don’t know what you’re doing here, but I trust you”?

Scripture: Luke 5:16

Life can get really busy. When things pick up, time with Jesus is often the first thing to go rather than our go-to.

Today, we want to give you a few minutes to practice solitude.

Practically, solitude is to retreat and listen to God. It’s to be quiet, to be patient, to wait. In solitude, you ask God to speak to you as you give him uninterrupted time to demonstrate your need for him and to allow him to work in your heart. 

Get away from distractions, quiet your mind, and use these next 5 to 10 minutes to center your heart and wait on the Lord. 

Ask God to speak to you and then give him your undivided attention.