A few months ago, I visited a church I hadn’t been to in quite some time. Like, five or six years.
On this particular Sunday, they were discussing a cause that was very near and dear to their hearts. The church had been sending people overseas to a war-torn third-world country for years and on this particular Sunday, they were pleased to announce that the fighting had ended!
I remember being at the church years before, when they had first started sending people over. And now, a handful of years later, the fighting was done. They had rescued people. They had made a difference.
I thought about what *I* had done over the same amount of time. I’d had a baby. And then another. But that was about it. I hadn’t saved the world; I hadn’t even saved one person.
Related: How to Wait on the Lord When You Don’t Understand His Plan
When God Says Wait
Many of you may not know this, but I actually went to school to be an elementary school teacher, not a writer. I had this whole career timeline in my mind, and it would have been perfect. Except that’s not what happened.
I got pregnant before finishing college, and while I did eventually go back and complete my last semester, I never became a full-time teacher. Instead, I entered a period of waiting. A time when God said, “Yes, you will do big things. But not yet.”
I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! –Psalm 27:13-14
Perhaps you’re in a waiting season too. If so, you have my sympathy. I know just how tough it can be when God says wait. How it feels when you have big plans, big hopes and big dreams, and you feel stuck on the bench.
But ultimately, we have to trust that when God says wait, He has a good reason.
When God Says Wait: 9 Reasons Why
Now, I don’t know your specific situation and I definitely don’t claim to know and understand God’s ways, but here are a few reasons I can think of why God may be making you wait. Perhaps one applies to you.
- You aren’t ready yet (either spiritually, emotionally, physically or mentally).
- God’s plan for you involves other people too, and they aren’t ready yet.
- You need a stronger support team than you have right now; those take time to develop.
- God wants to come through for someone else at just the right time, and that hasn’t happened yet.
- If you get involved in something (or with someone) now, you’ll be too distracted when the right situation/person comes along later.
- You have other tasks to accomplish before your big task can take place.
- You need to develop a certain skill set or certain relationships first.
- You need knowledge or life experience you don’t have yet.
- The person you are meant to help doesn’t need your help yet.
Ultimately, we never know why God says “Wait.”
We simply have to trust that when God says wait, He has His reasons, and they are good ones.
How to Respond When God Says Wait
Hearing a “wait” when you really want to rush forward and save the world can be difficult. After all, it’s good to want to make a difference, right? Well… only if the timing is right. And when God says wait – that’s a clear sign that it isn’t.
Here’s how to cope in the meantime.
1. Pray
First of all, pray to make sure that the “wait” you hear is actually a “wait” and not just you being lazy. Secondly, pray for more detail. What exactly does God want you to wait on? Is it just one opportunity that you need to hold off on, or do you need a more extensive period of rest where you opt out of all opportunities for the time being?
The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. –Lamentations 3:25
2. Grow
Whether you are waiting because you aren’t ready personally or because the timing simply isn’t right yet, periods of waiting are an awesome time to grow and develop in your faith to make sure that you are prepared when the time comes. Spend this time wisely. Read your Bible, pray, rest, build your family, practice putting God first –whatever you need to do to grow as a Godly woman.
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. –Isaiah 40:31
3. Discern
Waiting may feel torturous at times, but the good news is: it won’t last forever. Eventually you will be called to action, and you’ll have to be ready to figure out what your next steps should be. The next steps rarely come with a huge, blinking “Go this way!” light, however, so you’ll need to do your best to discern which way you should go.
Discerning God’s will can be very tricky! This article has some good advice, though, to help you figure it out:
- 3 Warnings in Discerning God’s Will — Charisma News
Waiting may not be easy and it’s rarely fun, but it is always worth it when we trade the temporary pleasures we want now for the perfect plan God has in store for us. After all, someday the waiting will be over, and you’ll likely have something awesome to show for it. And then it will all make sense. You just have to wait.
Have you ever been in a time of waiting (or are you currently)? How did you get through it? How did you grow because of it?
Brittany Ann is an ECPA bestselling author and founder of Equipping Godly Women and Monetize My Ministry. She’s also a Christian speaker, podcaster, and conference host. Her work has been featured on numerous TV, radio, and online ministries, including CBN, MSN, Christianity Today, Evangelical Alliance, Patheos, Crosswalk, and more.
This post spoke volumes to me this morning! Exactly what I needed. God certainly has a variety of reasons for making us “wait” and while we ourselves may not understand them in the moment – we have to remind ourselves that His plan in greater than our own!
I’m glad you found it helpful!
So inspiring n really a way to go
Thanks. I’m glad you got something out of it.
I have been in this holding pattern for a couple years now. It– and the events that have GOTTEN ME HERE– HURT! they HURT so badly. Thanks for this article <3
I AM currently in my waiting season I believe. But I love the advice of praying to make sure I’m not just being lazy. I needed to see every piece of advice this article had to offer. And I’m so glad I pressed the link to read it. It is truly what I needed. Because this is the season I am in. Thanks so much.
Awww, I know how frustrating seasons of waiting can be! Hang in there and grow strong in the Lord. Someday, when He calls, you’ll want to make sure you’re ready!
God’s plan is for our salvation. The way I see it is if he is drawing us away from something it is in order to draw us to Himself or give us the opportunity to draw closer. Salvation is where we always have to set our sites. When my husband served me divorce papers, I walked outside and looked up into the sky and saw a beautiful heart outlined with puffs of cloud. I made my daughter run and get a camera. It spoke love to me and that was the period of time that I finally took a Bible study that changed my whole life. It has been a steady journey since. On New Year’s Eve I told God that I wanted to get closer to Him. He gave me the Saint to do that. If anyone is unwillingly stuck in the single state, I recommend taking advantage of the time to read the book “He and I.” It is a diary of a woman, Gabrielle Bossis, who records each time Jesus tells her something.
I haven’t heard of that book. Thanks for the recommendation!
Thanks for sharing! I’m single with 3 beautiful kids. I’ve been single over 6 years. Dating hasn’t been what I thought it would be. Waiting on the Lord and sometimes it’s not easy but I know He has the best plan, which I have to remind myself of.
Hang in there. The Lord is ALWAYS faithful. 🙂
Hi Brittany, my name is Sandra and these testamony ‘s are awesome. I love the Lord also. I have a question for you, how do I block out my thoughts to hear the Lord’s voice. I try so hard to separate my thoughts , and thoughts that could be coming from the Lord. I don’t have a quiet place and when it is quiet my mind is racing. Do you have any suggestions to help me please. Thankyou Brittany.
That’s a great question, and honestly, the best answer is “with practice.” Think about this–the first time your best friend called you, you probably didn’t recognize their voice. But as they called and called, you could pick up on their voice right away. It’s the same with God. Read His Word–His voice will never go against the Bible. Spend lots of time in prayer, but make a lot of that quiet listening time. If you think something might be from God, but you’re not sure, ask a Godly friend or mentor for their input. T
Honestly, I really hesitate to publicly say anything is from God, because I would really hate to be wrong, but I can tell you that hearing His voice does get a lot easier the more you listen for it–AND obey it. (After all, why would He bother talking if you aren’t going to listen?)
Hope that helps!
God bless you for this. This word was really sent for me, I was going through facebook, slightly annoyed but God always supernaturally encourages me by sending His word my way. I receive grace to wait and grow spiritually also!> May you continue to be a blessing!
He has a way of doing that, doesn’t He? 🙂
I’ve been waiting for the past 8 years of my life… It has been the most painful thing I’ve ever endured. I truly am “stuck” – I’m stuck in university (forced to go), stuck at home(forced to stay), stuck with so many unanswered questions that I have nobody to ask. I’ve been strong for so long but lately its been too much. I know I will push through…. but every moment of this is torture. Im not after help, or advice… I just have so much bottled up and nobody knows how hurt I truly am.
Are you really stuck? Why can’t you move out?
Thank you soooo much for sharing. This was exactly the wisdom I needed to hear as My children and I have been in a holding pattern for two years now after the unexpected loss of my husband. We are all four stronger now than we were before and hopefully more fit for The Lord’s service but it has been a difficult lesson for me to patiently wait. I think most of the questions I have had came down to one simple answer: just trust in the mantra that “His ways are not my ways”. I don’t need answers – I just need to trust that He has a master plan and for now, simply rest and wait. Thank you again for being obedient and for allowing your written words to be His voice to those of us who need to hear Him.
Aww, I’m so sorry to hear about your loss. Good for you for using it to draw you closer to God–not further away. I’m sure that’s rough.