Waiting

     Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life, is nothing.  Think about it how often do you find yourself content doing nothing.  We always see more work that needs to be done.  We can always do this or that better.  How often are you content just waiting for things?  We generally look for something to do to fill the time.  Nothing just isn't what we do.

     For me doing nothing but waiting is quite painful.  Growing up this was my father's greatest form of discipline.  Whenever I did something wrong my father would send me to my room to sit there, do nothing, and think about whatever it was I did  wrong.  I would have done any strenuous physical labor rather than do nothing.  I much preferred the spankings my mother gave me to doing nothing, waiting, and thinking about my situation.  Nothing just is.

     So what happens when God asks us to stop everything and do nothing and just wait?  This concept goes beyond the idea of the Sabbath where we are asked to do no work, because then we are asked to rest.  Rest and relaxation is something we can do.  I am talking about when God asks you to just wait and watch until He is ready for you?  I think all too often when we are asked to do nothing and wait, we find things on our own to do.  I find that in these moments of waiting faith is put to the test much more than when we are given a task to do.  When we have something to do we are almost forced to look to God for help, but in waiting that pressure is not there.  

      Being asked to do nothing but wait can be a form of punishment like it was in my household, but sometimes we are asked to do so for other reasons.  He told the disciples to wait until they received power on High before they were to go out.  He told the people of Israel to wait and watch for His coming.  In Gethsemane Jesus asked the disciples to wait and pray with Him.  Sometimes the Spirit just has us waiting.  We don't always know why He asks us to wait.  The question is what do you do until He has something else for you to do?

     When we look in the scriptures at those who waited for the Lord, they talk of learning, and praying, and being strengthened by the Lord.  Often we find it difficult not to act,  we want to take what we have and go go go.  Yet if we wait upon the Lord, wait until He tells us to go, we will go with so much more than should we do so on our own.  

     I know this blog only scratches the surface, but I want us all to think about what the Lord is asking us to do.  If we will listen the Spirit will tell us when we are to act, and when we are to wait.  What is He having you do?