I was in the line the other day behind one of you (and you know who you are) that play
the lotto. To be honest, you were taking a really long time and I was really ready to say “Can’t you pick this stuff out before you get to the register? It’s not like everything isn’t displayed right there, you know?” Then I stopped myself…and thought “this is an opportune moment for me.” There wasn’t really anything that needed my attention in the next minute or two… no big deadline… no pressing meeting or lunch with someone who needed some help on something. It was a rare moment in time where I was simply forced to slow down and gear life down for a moment, and here I was about to waste it.
I’ve got to admit, that’s not my normal bent. If you’re running slow in the left hand lane in front of me, I’m pretty much on the path to irritated. It’s a curious disease, this incessant need to push your schedule to the limit. Of course, we all realize the moments that speed is of the essence, but the bad part is that we get into the habit of having to do it all the time.
That situation creates a sort of dependence on pressure to motivate and creates a critical life issue down the road when that pressure is absent. I believe this disease infects our world and our culture…a culture of impatience that no longer sees the value in waiting, having forgotten how.
Isaiah 40 says that “those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.” That’s an amazing promise. We are all at times in need of “new strength”, and the energizing power of God is a definite advantage.
Still, there’s a warning that let’s us know that without the discipline of “waiting”, we’ll miss out. Almost every great Biblical personality experienced some point of using this skill and a skill it is. I challenge you to attempt to enjoy the moments of your life where God places you in a position where you must wait. Ingest it, breathe in it, don’t run from it and maybe you’ll find out that there’s value to be found in the middle of it.
Jim is the Campus Pastor and Primary Communicator at Bay West Church, which meets at Heritage High School Sundays at 10am. 
For more info on Bay West Church, check us out at facebook.com/baywestchurch or www.baywestchurch.org. Bay West Church is a campus of First Baptist Church of Melbourne.