No one enjoys waiting, although sometimes, it is the only thing one can only do. For example, imagine recently, you found yourself caught in the middle of a situation and it is something that you needed to know to understand everything that happened but no one had the guts to tell you about it. Everyone is like I cannot answer that now... give me some time to think ... it is not probably not a good idea to talk to that person. That may sound quite fine to you, but I am sure at that time I wanted to get off the hamster wheel so badly.
Let’s look at work, I recently heard a new position that I would be perfect for my career advancement, I was invited for an the interview, they tell me that I would fit the position, but I need to wait. Since the list of candidate was long and they need to have a meeting to make a decision whether I am suitable. I waited for their phone call, I left messages but they never bother to call back.
Let’s move to a simpler example. I already made an appointment to meet someone at a certain place for dinner. But then the person did not show up, then I tried calling but no answer so I waited … yes… doing nothing but wait for a reply, to continue waiting or to go home?
I think it is not about how long it is or what you are waiting for. It is because waiting is a mixed-up period where you build your expectation so high that it comes crumbling down when it becomes unstable and seems impossible to happen any more. This cycle keeps going on and on, it seems endless, until finally the answer reveals. Now you see how terrible the process is?
While you are waiting for that certain someone, you keep on hoping that he will finally come, he is probably just trap in a traffic, woke up late, or he has something important thing to do. But after several minutes or hours, your mind shifts, you start to think that he probably hates you, trying to avoid you, or even worse you are the one who got the time or place mix up. Finally you try to re-ensure yourself that those negative things are just not possible, he is just late and has no respect for your time. And the cycle goes on.
So people are basically cruel, since we tend to make other people wait. Sometimes we do it on purpose; sometimes we just don’t have any options. Why do we NOT start saying YES… if we feel like it and NO… if we feel it fits? And if we really need to make someone wait, then please remember no one deserves to be hold up, do not do unto others what you do not want others do unto you , then you will stop making them wait for too long.
I recently had this waiting period for a brilliant idea, it passed for months, and finally the answer for me was no. I was sad, of course, since I wanted to make it happen kinda badly, but I regretted the waiting period, not the answer afterwards. I regretted on how tired I was being fixated on that uncertainty period. I wanted to forget that I was still waiting for something, yet the thought of it kept on coming at night, when I was alone, or simply when I had nothing important to do. Of course I understand that I need to work on my feelings during those times, but I hope I do not have to pass this terrible stage again. However, will it be better if everybody were not asked to wait? I rather be rejected, sad and get over it quickly.
Just last weekend I was suppose to meet up with friends for dinner to catch up, I waited for this opportunity to tell them about the China trip. But I did not notice the time, basically skip breakfast and lunch, I worked till 10pm, I walked up late and had supper instead. We had a few drinks and at the end of the night they said "... the trip sounded like hard labour to us, when was the last time you did something like this ... but as you were explaining to us, you had a smile on your face the whole time, we could tell that you will do great over there ..." Was I happy? Was it the drinks talking with an empty stomach?
The next day I wash pushing myself to finish a dateline, I was suppose to meet some new friends, they too heard about the trip, after dinner we went to a network marketing seminar. A few great speakers presented and again I pick up on phrases that not only encouraged me but also reminded me of my own goals.
What is the True Measure of Success? They touch on how it is everyone's dream to travel to places they want to go and stay as long as they want, no worries ... financial independence. How your problem will not be a problem once you solve other people's problem and so on ...
The rich people are considered as the most successful and highly honoured in the world. Right? They are given the best seat wherever they go. They are highly esteemed people. They live in the most expensive communities. They drive the most expensive cars. They are dressed with the most expensive wardrobe. They eat the best cuisine. No wonder it becomes everyone’s dream to be rich.
This is the main driving force behind everyman’s hardwork. Hardwork is good and highly commended in the Bible but it should not be used as a means to satisfy one’s greed. Slowly greed becomes the driving force behind hardwork. So many people become discontented in their life, dissatisfied with just having the basic things in life. So they pursue for their worldly ambitions and turn away from the ways of God.
“Beware! Don’t be greedy for what you don’t have. Real life is not measured by how much we own.” Luke 12:15
In Jesus mindset to become rich or being successful is not measured by the worldly standard.
Everything in the world, all the things it crave such as wealth, material possessions, money, position, power, and prestige are all bound to fade away. The world system is not meant to last forever. There will be an end for everything. Worldly success is not bound for eternity for one day God will judge the world and will destroy it. Those who hold on to the things the world give will be greatly frustrated.
And who will remain forever? According to the passage those who do the will of God will live forever. Can you count on to your earthly wealth to make you live forever? Even the world’s richest people have no power to make themselves live forever. Their vast wealth cannot make them live for eternity. When they die, they cannot bring their wealth to their tombs. They have to pass it to somebody else, to their next generation.
Can we then consider worldly wealth as a measure of success if it has no power to make us live for eternity. Therefore the measure of success is based upon whether you have fulfilled the "Will of God" in your own life for this will make us live forever. You can say that you are successful then if at the end of your life you can pronounce what apostle Paul has said before he died: “I have fought a good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.” He was able to say this because he was able to fulfill the mission God entrusted to him.
I know God cannot possibly reveal to me the
whole of revelation in my life because I would not be able to either understand
it or accept it. And so God reveals it slowly so as to patiently wean us off
our own wills and onto His.
I have hope in God’s forgiveness of sins, and
thus receiving my eternal life. However, I imagine that, in this life, I also
have confidence that God will reveal to me everything that I need to know. This
seems to be a pretty obvious statement, why would God not reveal to me what I
need to know in order to fulfil his will? Because of one common human weakness,
I frequently doubt God’s intention to reveal his plan to me, primarily because
I am impatient.
I must always be patient
with God. He knows me better than myself and so I must be prepared to bear
the burden of the unknown until He sees fit for me to know it. This patience
also entails an element of humility,
because it will be the humble person who realizes that they are restricted, and
that God knows better. It will also take a humble person to realize that they
may have a lack of patience.
Often in prayer I ask God, "What is it you are calling me
to do, Lord" Most of the time God answers with "Wait" I find this usually the
case especially when it concerns my career. Often time's I am so eager to do
God's will, or even just know what it is so I can be put at ease, that I forget
who's will I am actually doing. God's
work is bigger than mine, and thus I cannot possibly understand in my own time,
but only in His.
Waiting for the Lord is necessary because from the depths I am
crying out to him. Indeed God hears my pleas, and he cries out to his children
to wait until the appointed time for his revelation. God will always comfort us
and always tell us what we need to know, sometimes it just takes time. It is
then when we must offer up whatever suffering we may be enduring, in order to
come into better union with him and eventually be lifted from the depths and
into the eternal light.
I received the same reply TWICE from different scenario ... often the toughest times in life are those moments when all we know about God doesn't seem to help or get us the results we want. That's when we learn about His silence. Whenever God doesn't say a word, He's teaching, even in stillness. He's allowing us to grow by forcing us to think, study and arrive at conclusions while He stands by like the loving parent He is.
Faith comes by hearing, but patience comes by silence. Patience is what God gives you when bad things remain unchanged. It's His sedative for the troubled heart. It's the balm He rubs into your aching muscles when it feels like you're being stretched to breaking point.(and recently Costochondritis returned, it's like a reminder of pain for me every single day) These are the times when the pain lasts so long that only God can release the patience required-the sheer grace to get you through it.
There are great benefits to waiting. For example, if you learn to wait and observe, you'll make better choices. The thing you think you can't live without today, you may be glad to live without tomorrow. '...No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.' (Psalm 84:11) So when God says, 'Wait,' trust Him. Either it's not what you need at this time, or He has something better in mind for you. You say, 'But what am I going to do in the meantime?' The Bible says, 'Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart...' (Psalm 27:14) Stop fussing, stop trying, allow God to work and you'll come out of this stronger and with a better result.
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