Let us quickly define these three terms; Waiting, Anxiety, and Faith.
- Waiting is the action of staying where one is or delaying action until a particular time or event.
- Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.
- Faith is the complete trust or confidence in someone or something. (In this context, God).
As humans, it’s easy to move on from a waiting experience once our answers have come but, it is important to have a great perspective of the waiting spell, so that the next time we are waiting, we will understand how to feel.
And through life, we will have waiting periods. It is just what it is because we will not always have access directly to what we need at every point in time. So you have to wait on someone or something to happen for you to move past that need.
First, can we agree that we will never be 100% certain of every outcome? We will still have that waiting spell of “What if?” or at the minimum “When?”.
Also, I have come to understand that you can do enough and it still goes the other way. So, somehow one is never too sure, even though our faith says that our expectations will not be cut short.
In the same vein, as believers, we say “All things work together for our good if we love God’, in actual sense, we can’t feel sad about an outcome, we have to trust that it is what is best for us.
Yet, we want what we want. And because we want them so much, the waiting period/spell can be nerve-wracking.
I used to think being in that moment was a lack of faith and anxiety taking over, but I have learned better this time.
While looking at the Bible for examples of people who waited and how they acted, to help me exercise my faith right and be at peace, the story of Elijah came to mind.
Remember when Elijah prayed for rain after three years, and he told his servant seven times to check for rain, and not until the seventh time did the servant see the little cloud as the sign of the rain?
Yes, the first six times, he got back with the “No sign of rain’ news, and I can only imagine how that felt for Elijah who knew that God was going to answer because He not only just proved Himself by defeating Baal and his servants, He also has never failed Elijah before.
He must have been in the waiting spell sending the servant to confirm for the seventh time. He kept checking not because he was anxious or lacked faith, but because he needed his answers so he could move on to other assignments.
What this taught me is that I am not a nervous wreck for always checking my emails/phone in anticipation of a result, that I am not paranoid for calling to check up on feedback, nor do I lack faith for speaking to others about what they have heard.
It only means that while I am praying up and waiting, checking for the result means that I am hopeful for my answers. It means I believe in my prayers and my expectation would not be cut short.
So it’s either the servant in me keeps checking the cloud, even if it’s for the 1000th time, or the appearance of the cloud shows up as my answered prayers.
I will only “stand up” and move on when my answers have come.
So while waiting, understand that once you know it’s God that’s your source, your cloud will form and rain will fall mightily.
It’s not a matter of if, it is a matter of when.
P.S: Don’t let anxiety take over and don’t let the devil guilt trip your expectant heart as a lack of faith. You are waiting for your answer and checking out for it as you should (with a peaceful heart).
Happy Monday Y’all.
P.S: If you don’t feel at peace while waiting, hold on to His word for peace.
