It’s Worth the Wait

“Well worth the wait.” That’s what you say after a nice sit-down meal or at the end of a beautiful wedding. It takes nine months to have a child and then another eighteen years to raise them. But seeing your son or daughter live out a meaningful life makes it all worthwhile. Or maybe you’ve saved up for a nice vacation, a new car, or a home of your own. Those are all things that are well worth the wait.

There are other less tangible things in life that are worth the wait. When it comes to bringing a friend or a loved one to Christ, you are patient with them and willing to take your time. Or how about a ministry that you’ve been praying for years about starting? How sweet it is when you finally see God put the last piece into place and you launch off on your own.

Waiting doesn’t have to be grueling or burdensome. There are lots of things that happen during the wait that make it worthwhile. You will learn and grow. You will make connections and friends. You may even find that your desires have shifted to something even better.

If you want to wait well, patience is the key. That’s a lot easier said than done. Patience is the ability to put off what you want now, no matter what. The problem is that patience can only be learned “on the job.” There’s nothing you can do to gain patience without actually experiencing a time of waiting.

Impatience has ruined many a dinner, a day, or even a dream. You can lose your cool while waiting for a table. You can blow your top because someone stood you up. Or your dream could slip through your fingers because you jumped the gun too quickly.

On the other hand, patience is a fruit of the Spirit. It’s something that is birthed by the Holy Spirit in the moment of waiting. He can show up and slow you down, give you perspective, and keep you on the right track. Patience isn’t about stopping altogether; it’s about staying true to the path God laid out for you.

What is something that was worth the wait in your life? What is a small way you can practice patience today?