I
think that all of us have things we are believing God for. No matter how big or
small, waiting is a hard process for any of us. I realize that in today’s
society we are such a microwave generation that we want it NOW. And to keep it
real, I am that way too.
In
the process of waiting it is easy to lose hope, compare, question God or
yourself, and ultimately give up.
So...
what do you do while you’re waiting for Gods promises? Since my diagnosis (read about it here), I am slowly but surely learning what it looks like to wait on
God in faith, not in fear.
Below
I have listed a few things that I have learned/ do while I am waiting.
1) Focus on the
Promise.
This
can be very tricky. Especially when you feel like the promise is so far out of
reach. If you’re believing for finances or to be debt free and you are 20,000
in debt it can be difficult to see yourself coming out of that. For me,
believing for a child while I hear negative reports from a doctor sometimes
clouds my vision of the promise. What did God promise you? Doesn't God keep His
promises? These are questions you may have to ask yourself daily in order not
to lose the faith.
2) Surround yourself with the right people.
This
one has been CRUCIAL for me! It is so important that you have people around you
who speak life into you, speak God's word, and who will correct you. While you
are waiting on God, you don’t need to be surrounded by people who doubt that
God is going to do what He said. Occasionally you will have weak days and
doubt, and being able to call someone up for prayer, to share your story, send
a simple text, etc will be imperative. Your circle of people has more influence
than you think.
3) Continue to study His word.
What
better way is there to remember what God says than to keep studying His word?
When doubt fills your mind, and all your friends have encouraged you… you will
still need to hear it from God Himself. Ultimately even if you do everything
else, if you are not praying, reading, and worshiping Him it will be impossible
to productively wait on His promise.
4) Have Fun.
Your
life doesn't stop because you are in a waiting phase. Have fun, live, enjoy
your life. God already knows what you want (if you’re like me, He hears it
daily lol). Some of the best advice I got when I was single was to keep on
living. Don't put your life on hold until you get married and don’t trick
yourself into believing that life will really start once you get that THING.
Don't take life too seriously, what God has for you is for YOU so walk out your
calling in the meantime.
5) Waiting is intentional.
God
does everything for a reason. Yes this statement is thrown around so much that
people don't even really believe it anymore. But for me, I have to stand on
this. I have to remind myself that if God isn’t giving it to me right away it
is for a reason. Even if I don't understand the reason. I also have to remind
myself that the waiting period is the time to prepare. Similar to # 4 you have
to take advantage of the time you have. In a lot of cases God is trying to show
you something or get you to a certain place during this phase. It is wise to be
obedient and open your eyes to what you can learn while you are waiting; being
in a place of depression and losing your faith WILL NOT speed up this process,
believe me, I tried!
I
could go on and on but these top 5 have really helped me on this journey. I
have been having a hard time writing after my last blog because I was so
transparent and initially I was too embarrassed to share my struggle. As a
woman you feel like there are certain things you should just be able to do-
having a child is one of them.
While
I am waiting I will continue to grow, love, work on my marriage, work on myself,
and inspire those around me. Whether you are waiting for a child, husband, job,
finances etc... Never forget that God truly does work things out for our good.
Be opened minded to what God is doing, and be opened minded to the fact that
ultimately this is His timeline.
I
have cried, prayed, and cried again, but I will not give up. I will encourage
while I'm waiting.
What will you do while you are waiting?
