Waiting On God

We live in a "want it now" generation.  Instant everything: from coffee to credit, "fast" food to stripper clips (for your rifle silly!).  We want it NOW!  Everything is a shortcut.  In my old company we even had to change how work assignments were made so that the worker could have the feeling of "instant gratification" at having produced something - when in fact, what they did was quite worthless without the 99% of what had to still be done!  Shorter attention spans, more demands of gratification, no one thinks in terms of craftsmanship or that the real prize is found at the end of the struggle.

Christians, of course, are not exempt from this cultural trend.  Not only do we want our coffee, how we want it, when we want it, we also expect God to be doing some performing because we haven't the patience to wait on Him.  That is how pragmatism stole into the Church and now we have left God in the dust, making excuses all the time for having to do it all ourselves.  After all, God just is not performing as expected.  Welcome to the 21st century American Church, God has been left in the dust.  The church of man, for man, by man, all about man and his viewpoint.  Not much room in that statement for God.....

Naturally, a few of Jesus' friends had to deal with this problem.  In John 11:1-16, Mary (Miriam) and Martha are a bit excited because Jesus shows up a few days late to see his dying friend!  On the one hand, one can argue that Jesus anticipated showing His power of resurrection through the raising of Lazarus, so being late made him right on time.  On the other hand, that did not exactly instill confidence in Mary and Martha whom knew He could heal.  But, raising the dead?!?  Heaven we are talking Elijah here and that was a few centuries ago!  From Jesus viewpoint though, He was showing His power over death, because very shortly He was going to be stone cold too - and His friends and disciples really needed to understand that He was not going to be staying dead for long....

As in this example, God's timing is not our own.  In fact, His timing is always perfect (in retrospect) and I think my faith has been tested more in this regard than any one thing!  It has taken a great many licks for me to realize that I have to TRUST in His timing and have faith that it is perfect.  Whereas, I would much rather run ahead and get it done  or take a pill.  But, somethings are worth waiting for you know.

So, being calm and waiting.  Knowing that God is never late to His Will.

Stay on solid ground because God's Love for you is strong and perfect.

Rather than running off and chasing the next rainbow, stick around - God is not finished with any of us yet!

(I sort of think when God is finished with us, we get recalled to our real home.  Else why exist if we are not serving or glorifying Him?)

In other words, we need to gain an eternal perspective on our lives, our ministries and God's Will.  These past few months have driven home this point in ways it would take me days to figure out how to express.  I would so love to have the secret pill that could cure all.  Take it you are healed.  Take it you are now right with God.  Take it and you can bypass years of pain and testing of your faith.  Oh yeah no stretching!  I want that pill!

But, in reality, that struggle through pain and faith is what allows us to grow.  Not to our own perfection but to the ability to minister to others, to bring about their healing as they too walk and wait and stretch.

Just like Miriam and Martha, we face a God whom is "late" in our books, when in fact He is right on time with another miracle we can not fathom before hand.  Now I am at the point where I am wanting to brag on my God, so that makes it time to close.