Waiting is a natural part of the human experience. Each and every one of us will experience waiting numerous times throughout our lives. It may be waiting for physical healing, waiting for the prodigal to return home, waiting for relationships to mend or heal, waiting to trust to be rebuilt, waiting for careers to take off, or waiting for our spouse to engage in the marriage.
Unfortunately, most of us struggle to wait well! We can be more than a little impatient in the waiting and be unsatisfied when the results aren’t what we expected or hoped for.
In this episode, we want to flip the script for you on the topic of waiting. We want to help you think about waiting in a different light. Mark and I invite you to think about waiting not as an uncomfortable process, but as an invitation to grow.
In this conversation, you’ll hear:
- How waiting is actually a gift
- Why waiting can bring “impurities” to the surface
- The peace that comes from God when we trust Him with the outcome
- And much more!
Thanks for listening in!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- [BOOK] God Empowered Wife: How Strong Women Can Help Their Husbands Become Godly Leaders
- [BOOK] How We Love: Discover Your Love Style, Enhance Your Marriage
- What is a Love Style? with Milan & Kay Yerkovich | Episode 108
- The Wait is Not Wasted Course
- The Wait is Not Wasted Free Webinar
- As a thank you for listening, get your 3 free eBooks.
Our Key Takeaways:
1) Waiting is an invitation to grow. As we go through hardships and seasons of waiting, God can use these to bring attention to parts of our hearts that need to grow. Instead of fighting against this season of waiting, use it as an opportunity to notice what is bubbling to the surface. Is there a sin issue you need to address? Is there an area where you need to mature more in your Christian faith? Have you made something an idol in your heart that you need to tear down? Seasons of waiting are often opportunities for God to bring impurities in your life to the surface and refine them. Use this time to take note of any problem areas in your heart and how God wants you to grow.
2) How we respond affects our relationships. As we take the time to grow and address areas of our hearts, this growth will begin to affect our relationships in a positive way! This is especially true if you are in a season of waiting for a relationship to heal or for a spouse to re-engage in marriage or something similar. When we take the time to work on the stuff that we are responsible for or “own our part” in the dysfunction, there is a positive impact that stems from doing that work. Even if you do not have direct contact with the other person, it is likely to get back to them in the way that other people and relatives see the shift and growth in your life. We don’t have to prove to the other person that things are changing, that positive change will be seen through our attitude, responses, and actions.
3) Trust God with what comes after the waiting. There is power in accepting the wait and trusting God with what happens after the waiting. As God continues to mature and grow us, we discover that He can be trusted with every season of life. There is a peace that comes when we understand that God is in control and is equipping us to handle what is on the other side of the waiting–whether it be good or “bad.”
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