Do you ever feel like everything is on hold and life is passing you by? Maybe you feel like the plans God has for your life aren’t coming to fruition as fast as you would like, or perhaps you wonder if God has completely forgotten all about you. You don’t feel like you are a good wife, mom, or pastor’s wife. You are just not enough.
Don’t lose hope. Don’t move ahead and make your own plans rather than patiently waiting for what God has planned for your future. Philippians 1:6 says, “And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” God hasn’t forgotten about you and He won’t leave the plans for you half done. His perfect plan will be completed in His own way and in His own time. We can be assured of that. In the meantime, remember that He has made you unique and in His image, even if you can’t see that in your moments of questioning and doubt.
The culture we live in thrives on the rapid completion of tasks. We have fast food restaurants, instant messaging, instant access to banking, instant potato flakes, and even instant coffee, if you’re willing to drink it. We all seem to prefer “instant” options rather than waiting, but instant is not always the best choice. It just gives us the quickest result. Haven’t we all heard that old adage, “good things come to those who wait”?
Waiting takes patience and it can be hard to be patient, especially when you want to see change in your own life. We want instant outcomes and it is easy to move ahead of God’s plan, relying on our own power and choices, rather than waiting on His timing. Philippians 1:6 reminds us of the importance of waiting because we can be confident that God will work in His own time to bring His will to completion in our lives.
Growth is not always instantaneous. Sometimes it can take a lot longer than we want it to, but the end product that God has planned for us is so much more than we could ever imagine. We all make mistakes and have bad days. Show yourself grace, in the same way God has shown us grace in sending Jesus to die for us. Confess your weakness but don’t beat yourself up over it. God is not done with you. You don’t have to be perfect.
Just wait. Be patient and see what God has in store for you.
Thanks for this encouragement, Marcy! I needed this reminder today that growth takes time–in my life and the life of others.