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Are You In a Season of Patience or Procrastination?

Nov 25, 2019 5:04:00 PM

Are You In a Season of Patience or Procrastination?

Is God calling you into something? Maybe it’s doing a season of missions with YWAM or spending time deepening your relationship with him. Maybe it’s going after a dream or pursuing something he’s put on your heart. Sometimes when God gives us vision for our life, we often meet it with hesitation, questioning or even doubting if it is from the Lord. What’s the difference between “waiting on God” and “dragging your feet”? I ask because the language we use to describe patience and waiting can easily be confused with choosing to do nothing.

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Are we seeking God or avoiding God?

Usually in seasons where God asks us to wait; it’s pretty clear that’s what he’s asking us to do. Waiting isn’t a bad thing. I think of Joseph’s story. How his life was full of undue suffering: sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely accused of a crime and thrown in jail. Before any of that, God gave Jacob dreams about his future. For God to put Joseph into a position of government in Egypt, Joseph had to be in the right place at the right time. Even when he met Pharaoh’s cup bearer in prison, it would be another two years in prison before Joseph would be called into the Pharaoh’s court to interpret the Pharaoh’s dream. Joseph was in a situation where he could do nothing but wait, but even in this time of waiting "the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love” (Genesis 40:21). If we are seeking God, we will see his hand in our life whether that be in a season of waiting or in a season of stepping out in obedience.

Why do we hesitate then? 

Hesitation is normal; it’s not a spiritual defect that only the weak face. How we handle hesitation is another thing altogether. Many times, I don’t give God that much credit for just how understanding he is. God understands our fears, our doubts, and our questions. He’s relational not a slave master. Since he is relational, we can go to him with everything. The problem is we don’t always take those things to Jesus. Instead, we think that because we have doubts or questions, then it must not be from God. If we allow our hesitation to lead us away from the Lord, the enemy will use that. This hesitation will grow and keep growing. Eventually, it will stop us from being obedient to God’s will for our lives. Discernment comes when we enter the presence of the Lord. If we desire understanding, we have to be willing to spend time with Jesus and be willing to bring those “negative” thoughts and feelings to Him.

Our God is one of action

Don’t get me wrong; we should definitely seek to create space for God to speak to us in the quiet. There are seasons in our life of actual waiting, but seasons are not forever. How many times have you heard people say, “God has a plan for you”? Yes it’s true God has a plan for each of us, but we can take that thinking too far and stop living in God’s truth: that for every decision there is a right way and a wrong way. If there’s a wrong way, what if we are making the wrong decision, and what if we are misunderstanding God? This type thinking can petrify us and prevent us from ever living the life God intends for us. At the end of the day, it’s choosing fear instead of God. If we are humble in the presence of the Lord and willing to seek him even if we are wrong, he won’t condemn us when we miss the mark. We should take our decisions to the Lord, but we shouldn’t let fear of disobedience keep us from ever making any decisions. Even if we fail, even if we’re wrong, God is bigger than all of that combined.

Paul writes to the church of Ephesus, "we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). What’s on your heart? What are you dreaming about? What if God created you to do those things? Maybe it’s time to go for it. I know that it’s scary to take those beginning steps of obedience and faith, but life is all the more meaningful when we do.

Interested in Jesus, adventure, and growing in your faith?

Do a Discipleship Training School, YWAM’s flagship missionary training course. It's a great gap year option. It's also perfect for anyone looking to step out of the ordinary and grow in your faith.

How does it work?

First, you’ll spend 3 months getting to know God amongst a vibrant Christian community and the inspiring beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Then you’ll embark on a life-changing 2-month overseas missions trip, focused on making God known. A new DTS starts every September, January, April, and June! Submit your info below to learn more. 

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