If you were to ask anyone who knows me well to rank my strengths, knowing how to be still and wait wouldn’t even make the list. I’m the first to admit, calmness within a delay is not a quality I possess. But if you need ideas and action, I’m your girl. Give me a problem to solve and I’m on it.
Yet the Bible is full of scriptures counseling the Hebrews to be still and wait on the Lord. Over and over, God tells the people to be quiet and watch for what He will do next. It’s no surprise to anyone that this chosen nation had so much trouble following the Lord’s instructions. Don’t we all?
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act . . . Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices.
Psalms 37: 5 and 7. NRSV
Ultimately, if we ever hope to be still and wait on the Lord, we must cultivate the virtues of peace and patience. The Apostle Paul did list these as two of the nine fruits of the Spirit along with love, joy, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Without peace and patience, all our choices and efforts can tend to feel haphazard and out of sync with God’s best plan for our lives.
Despite good intentions, I still struggle in this area. So, how do I discover the means to be still and wait on the Lord when my human nature pushes me to move ahead without Him?
Be Still with Peace of Mind
The kind of peace Jesus offers is vastly different than the peace of this world. Jesus gives us peace of mind born out of trust that His promises are true. His peace is a confident hope in the future not dependent on present circumstances. In contrast, the peace of this world is fickle and fleeting—here today and gone tomorrow. I’m only able to be still when my mind is at peace with Jesus. He’s my constant within a society built on everchanging cultures and ideologies.
Wait with Patient Anticipation
Waiting without purpose is fruitless. Instead of complaining that God’s not acting on your behalf to move you ahead, work to hone your skills in the interim. Don’t sit around wringing your hands but use the time to ready yourself for what God has in store for you. Watch for where God is already working and join in. When we wait with patient anticipation, we look forward in hope. God’s timing is perfect and preparation gives us purpose in the waiting. Who knows? Maybe what at first appears mundane is God’s orchestrated breakthrough tailored uniquely for you. Are you ready to receive it?
I don’t know about you, but to be still and wait on the Lord will likely always be difficult for me. My personality screams to do the opposite. Nonetheless, if I ask, the Spirit will help me in my weakness. Then I can be still with confidence and wait for the Lord, knowing that the best is yet to come.
The Spirit makes us sure about what we will be in the future. But now we groan silently, while we wait for God to show that we are His children. This means that our bodies will also be set free. And this hope is what saves us. But if we already have what we hope for, there is no need to keep on hoping. However, we hope for something we have not yet seen, and we patiently wait for it.
Romans 8:23-25 CEV
