What Are You Waiting For? - Scott Baxter
At every turn we are waiting. We wait in line at the store, in line at the bank, for food at the restaurant, on hold on the phone, for a change in the weather, for a medical test result or needed surgery, for the right time to speak, for a package to be delivered, for an unruly child to change their ways, for a coworker or team member we can’t do without, for a job opportunity with meaningful work and sufficient wages, for a child to be born, for a project to be completed, for a horrible virus to succumb to human anti-bodies, for our government leaders to come to their senses or be replaced, for an answer to prayer.
I once thought I was patient in the challenge of waiting. But under the barrage of waiting “opportunities” in which we all find ourselves, I’ve come up short all too often. Our culture continues to condition us to believe a grave lie: that we must have it all now. Maybe you’re like me and you thought you had overcome the cultural tide and had no need for further lessons in waiting patiently. I know now that I’ve got a long way to go in this area of spiritual growth.
I’ve found there are two important parts to our waiting experience. The first is the process, the “how.” The second is the result, the “what.” The process, how we wait, is important because it requires us to be alert, to pay constant attention to our hearts, and respond in righteousness. This is the spiritual diligence that is hard to maintain in heated moments or breaking points as we contend with the sinful nature. The result, what we’re waiting for, must take its place in a hierarchy of priorities, each item of hope carrying a certain weight and impact in our lives and the lives of others around us. If our priorities are set in line with God’s desires, we’ll navigate the waiting process with more clarity, and a response led by the Holy Spirit and aligned with God’s will.
There is a supremacy to recognize in God’s salvation, the redemption of souls. It is the ultimate result! The apostle Paul makes the point in Romans 8 that creation itself waits for the children of God to be revealed, and we, as believers, wait for our adoption as His children, the redemption of our body. With all of this waiting there comes with it a matter of displeasure or discomfort evidenced by groaning. The creation groans, and we groan.
The challenges in our country, our homes, our schools, our workplaces, and even in our church can be tremendous in this age. I wish I could concede that 2020 was an outlier in our history due to a pandemic, social upheaval, and a highly contested election season, but I believe that the coming years will only require more spiritual strength, more patience, and more love. We know in reading God’s word that many such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, all of the prophets, and Jesus Christ set their priorities right, then paid close attention to how they waited…not lazy waiting, but still patiently, eagerly waiting. And we have this great promise from Isaiah 40:31 – “Yet those who wait for (hope in) the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” I pray that you and I will grow in patience, setting our priorities right, waiting well with confidence in Christ our Savior…for His kingdom and His glory!
-- Bro. Scott