Wait Is a Four-Letter WordExemplo

 Day 2: Pitfalls of Waiting

True love, a baby, a job, a break. . . for all these things, I have waited. I wish I could say I have always waited with grace and faith, but I haven’t. I’m sorry to say that my plucky, God-knows-what-He’s-doing attitude tends to wilt with time. 

During waiting seasons, it’s tempting to torment ourselves with questions we can’t answer: Why? Why me? How long? Instead, let’s focus on the questions we can answer, the answers we can choose: How will I wait? and Who will I become along the way? 

Choosing how to wait and who to become starts with identifying Satan’s traps so we can avoid them. Perhaps these pitfalls will sound familiar:

Bitterness: I can’t believe this is happening to me. 

Doubt: Does God love me? Does He even know I exist?

Manipulation: If God won’t fix my problems, then I will. My plan may not be godly, but. . .

When we go into spiritual battle, we need to know where we require special protection—which parts of our spiritual armor have vulnerabilities (Ephesians 6:10–20). Satan loves to exploit our weaknesses, but God can turn weakness into strength (Hebrews 11:34). 

Let’s guard against the pitfalls and look to the future with hope. We may be sad and struggling now, but God can bring back joy in the end. He can bring back joy after we have doubted. He can bring back joy after we have made mistakes, even the kind with lasting consequences (Psalm 51:12). 

Waiting seasons aren’t fun, but they provide opportunities. Through waiting, perseverance can gradually “finish” its never-ending work in us (James 1:2–4). As waiting does its thing, and God does His, we get the chance to become our best selves, the people God designed us to be.