Isn't waiting just a waste of time?

Choosing to wait in a busy season feels irresponsible, but if God has led you to wait, is obeying really the irresponsible choice?

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

There’s never enough time to get everything done, is there? I am constantly running like a crazy person to check all the items off my task list, and it feels like my task list just keeps growing and growing.

So when God tells me I need to wait before accomplishing some goal or task that’s on my list, I feel like I’m wasting time. I feel like the most irresponsible person on the planet.

I mean, doesn’t God realize that I’ve got stuff to do? Doesn’t He understand that I have people counting on me? Doesn’t He know how important all my tasks are?

Well, yes, of course He knows. He knows everything. He knows that all those things matter to me, but He also knows what matters more.

He matters more. His instructions matter more. His plans matter more. So when we wait in obedience to His will, we aren’t being irresponsible. We aren’t wasting time.

Remember, waiting and doing nothing are two different things. Waiting gives you a chance to pray. It gives you quiet space to breathe. It reminds us to listen to what God has to tell us, that we haven’t made time to listen to.

So stop watching the clock. If God has led you to a season of waiting, stop fighting it. Just wait. Trust Him.

When you trust God, when you put your whole weight on Him, when He is the source of your hope and where you find your confidence, your entire perspective changes. He refreshes you. He reassures you. And in spite of your waiting, He does something new in your heart and life.

Wait. Trust. Be blessed.

Questions for Reflection

• Why is it hard to believe that waiting is different than doing nothing?

• Why do you think God asks us to wait in our busy seasons?

• Why is it so hard to trust that God will work out the details of our lives?

Weekly Memory Verse