So, what if I…stopped trying to create God’s timing?
I admittedly spent many years having selective patience. Meaning, I would wait tirelessly for something I deemed really important, but I would have the attention span of a goldfish (which is about eight seconds) for anything else. I would jokingly ask if God graded on a curve when it came to patience, because I was clearly being a C- student at best. Well, I was slightly joking, but mostly serious. Because in all honesty, if I wanted a good thing and I was willing to help people with my good thing, then I should have received it on the spot. Right?! Now, I know that logic sounds a bit wonky (and it is), but that’s honestly how we ask God for things all the time.
The thing about being human and waiting is that with every goal, desire, dream, or wish in our hearts, we attach how long we’re willing to wait…in advance. We sure do! We treat being patient like a shopping trip to Target (y’all know I love Target). When we see something that catches our eye on the shelf, we decide before we pick it up, if it cost most than $17 then it’s staying on the same shelf while we go home. But oh, if it’s $16.98?! Welcome home new unnecessary lamp that we never needed but we’re buying it anyway because it fit the cost in our minds!
If you’ve ever been within 10 feet of a Target, you too have probably ended up with a number of things that are both beautiful and not a necessity. The biggest culprit being that alluring bargain bin in the front of the store. Yes, I called the bargain bin alluring. Yes, I am aware that probably means I have a problem. But let’s stay focused here. If an item is $1 or $3, then of course we need it and we need it now. However, applying this same logic to our lives doesn’t always work as smoothly (update: it never works this smoothly).
Think about it. Have you ever found yourself saying something similar to the following statements?
I’m tired of this job and these people. They have about one more month to pull it together before I start looking elsewhere.
I’m almost 30, so this is about the time I should start trying to make a relationship work.
Okay! In five years, I’m buying that first house!
Being aware of God’s timing is amazing, but trying to create God’s timing is dangerous.
Hear me when I say (type) that being aware of God’s timing is amazing, but trying to create God’s timing is dangerous. Because no matter how brilliant we may be, we will never be able to see the future with His accuracy. If we leave that job in one month, we miss that in three months we would have been promoted. If we make a relationship work at 30, we miss our purpose partner (my term for spouse) at 33. If we decide it will take five years to own a house, we may miss our perfect home when it presents itself in two and half years. Examples like this go on and on, but you get the point!
So often we attach an amount of time to a life milestone and hold it so tightly. Then we become nearly despondent when we believe we have missed out. We start believing that we are behind in a race we were never meant to run.
Today, remember you can’t be behind in your life. God only gave your life to you, so there is no one else capable of living it.
Question of the day:
What would happen if you stopped trying to create God’s timing?
Encouraging Verses:
"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts…”
Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…
Ephesians 3:20 NIV
Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 GNT
Stay connected:
Join the mailing list so you never miss a post!
If you haven’t checked out my book, Until It Hurts, click here for more information!
Do you have an event coming up and need a speaker? Feel free to email me here!
