Waiting on the Big Things

For if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it — Romans 8:25

I used to be ridiculously impatient. It was really bad. When I wanted something, I wanted it right then…none of this waiting business. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit working inside of me that I have learned patience. By no means am I saying that I have arrived in the patience category, but I am saying compared to the way I used to be…I have LOTS of patience. I never decided to be more patient, it’s just that the more time I spend with the Lord, He has made me that way. I am learning to pray for the people in front of me when I’m in a long line (it’s amazing how the line speeds up when I start). I am learning to be the person holding the traffic up because I’m driving the speed limit as opposed to cursing the slow poke driving the speed limit in front of me. God is helping me develop this fruit of the Spirit.

Looking back over my life, I was extremely blessed to have God really make me think before I acted on the “big” decisions of my life. I remember REALLY wanting a big screen TV when they first came out. I just thought they were the coolest things ever. I could have bought one on credit and paid on it…but something in me just would not let me do that. I knew LOTS of people who were getting one and I hated not having one myself. Well, after about 3 years when I finally finished college, I got my job as a teacher. I still lived at home with my mom and dad. I took my entire first paycheck and went with my mom to Best Buy and bought a 50 inch Toshiba big screen TV. The best part? It was paid for and it was mine. I knew people who still were paying on the one they bought years ago…but mine was MINE! It was a very cool feeling.

I remember when all of my friends were starting to get married. I felt like I was going to be the only single dude in the world. I was dating and really liked a couple of my girlfriends over the past few years, but when it really came down to it…I knew I was not supposed to marry them. It was a constant battle…do I marry SOMEBODY so I won’t be alone, or do I wait for who I KNOW is the right one. More and more of my friends were marrying, and I had met NOBODY that I would seriously consider marrying.

When I hit 23, I remember REALLY starting to worry about this marriage thing. I actually started feeling pressure to find “the right one.” It didn’t help when EVERYBODY around me started asking me when I was getting married (by the way, if you do that to people…STOP IT!…it is not helpful in the least.) Anyway, I finally asked God what He wanted me to do. His answer? Quit looking! I sarcastically told Him that was the BEST idea I had ever heard! However, I eventually did just that. I stopped looking for a girl, and started looking for Him. It was the very best decision I had ever made. I dated God on the weekends. I went on dates with God on Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, and every revival I could find. I constantly took notes and filled up a couple of notebooks. I don’t know how, but somewhere in the middle of all that…He changed my heart. I no longer needed to be “hitched.” I no longer felt the pressure…I was happy with Him! Then, He allowed me to meet Tonya. It is one heck of a crazy story how we ended up together, but He brought her to me. I finally got married when I was 26. I waited on the right one and married life could not be better. I can’t help but praise Him for giving me the patience and self-discipline to not settle!

The point of all this? Wait on the big things! Wait to have sex. Wait until God brings you the person you are to marry. Wait until you actually have the money to buy things. Cut up the credit cards (unless you are actually disciplined enough to treat that money like it is actual money) Have you ever wondered why Satan has worked so hard to make this a “give it to me NOW” society? Because it makes us instinctively settle for less than God’s best. When we settle for less than His best, we live a defeated life of misery and compromise. We live in debt. We live in a horrible marriage. We live in a place where God never intended for us to be. That is Satan’s goal, and let me tell you, he is meeting his goal quite well.

Place your life in the hands of the Master who has a Master plan for your life. It will require some discipline…it will require a LOT of discipline. It will require you to do things that nobody else seems to do.

But in the end, I promise…more importantly HE promises…it will be worth it.

Later

Adam