Why Wait?

I read a very inspirational post at the bulletin board of Guidance and Counselling Office that captured my inner self. I went to their office and asked if I could have a copy of it. I'm so glad that they've given me a printed copy. Just wanna share it here:

WHY WAIT? 

(Joe Stowell-From Our Daily Journey- Sept12)  Read Galatians 5:16-23

We've all heard the prayer: "Lord, make me more patient - now!" If patience is a virtue, most of us are not very virtuous. WE DON'T LIKE TO WAIT. Just ask anyone who is caught in a traffic jam or the young couple counting the days until their long-awaited wedding. 

Being patient can be a quite a challenge. But it's clear that God wants us to develop this character trait. After all, patience is more than a virtue... it's a fruit of the Spirit. It reflects His very presence in our lives, because without His help we can't possibly be patient. 

There's a good probability that our struggle with patience is unsuccessful because we've been trying to focus on others and not ourselves. But the issue is not really the people who push us to the edge; it's rather our inability to focus on what God is doing when He puts us in His waiting room. God wants us to learn to wait patiently for Him because He's working while we wait. 

One of the reasons God makes us wait is FOR THE SAKE OF OUR GROWTH. The fact is: WE GROW IN TIMES OF CRISIS. When everything is going well, we  tend to coast through life. But when a crisis comes, we immediately become sensitive to God and desperate for His help. It's at those times that we draw near to Him, and He is then able to develop His character in our lives. 

A second reason God makes us wait is FOR THE SAKE OF HIS GLORY. God often seems to wait to act on our behalf until we've moved into the arena of the impossible. Then He acts so that a watching world will know that He is the true and living God. In this way, we know firsthand the reality of His power.

One thing we can be sure of... GOD'S TIME IS ALWAYS THE RIGHT TIME. Patience is not learning to wait for others; it is learning to wait on God and to cooperate with His work in our lives. 

RESPONDING: What kinds of situations make me impatient? What am I    

                      waiting for right now? What are some ways that God might be

                       working in my situation while I wait?

FOLLOWING:  Wait on God - He's always working.