By Shay Greenwood
What are you like when you are waiting for God to do something different in your life? So often when life isn’t going as planned, we want God to show up with answers quickly – and when He doesn’t, frustration creeps in and causes us to feel sad and hopeless.
Are you waiting for things to happen that you have no control over? A job offer, healing from a chronic illness, financial relief, and the list goes on …
I wish I could say I knew how to be patient in the waiting. I want to know when, why, what, how – all right now.
If I don’t have the solution right away, I try to take control and figure it out myself. I’m like that viral video from several years ago with the little girl trying to buckle her seatbelt, and her dad keeps asking, “Do you need help?” And she keeps saying, “Worry ’bout yoself.” Not realizing her Father can do it better.
Lord, help me to want Your help first rather than thinking that what I can do compares! I’m nothing without You.
I’ve wasted so much time trying to fix my circumstances. Googling or asking ChatGPT rather than first asking God specifically, directly, for the wisdom that He promises. Do I believe He will give me wisdom when I ask? Why do I doubt Him?
James 1:5 (ESV) says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
I find myself getting caught up in solving my own problems – and then I remember, oh yeah, God can help me. I wish my default was to pray and ask God for His wisdom first.
I love the reminder in Acts 1 where, after Jesus rose from the dead, He told His disciples to remain in Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father. Then Jesus ascended into heaven.
The disciples stood there looking upward, watching Him disappear. Two angels appeared and basically asked, why are you standing here looking into heaven? Jesus had given them something to do: Return to Jerusalem and wait.
What did they do while they waited? They devoted themselves to prayer (Acts 1:14). I want my default to be devoting myself to prayer when I’m waiting.
While I wait, I also want to be grateful for what I have and focus on the beautiful things that ARE happening, rather than focusing on what I don’t have or what’s not happening.
Last but not least, I want to bless others while I’m waiting. The best thing I can do is help someone else, or text or call someone to encourage them, and get my eyes off myself.
It’s a new season of not being sad and hopeless when I can’t be in control. This is what I want to be like while I wait on God. God, I need Your power to help me!
Shay Greenwood is a Certified Kingdom Life Coach who loves helping women live with more love, joy, and peace in their lives. She’s a wife to Roosevelt and mom to Bria (Cameron), 28; Chandler (Bo), 26; Noah, 24; Jacob, 23; and Adam, 13. You can find her @shaygreenwood on Facebook and Instagram, and @MommaJaywood on TikTok.
