Waiting on God's Timing in Your Calling
- meetgodattheedgeof
- Jul 2
- 3 min read
Ecclesiastes 3:1-9
[1] For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. [2] A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. [3] A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. [4] A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. [5] A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. [6] A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. [7] A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. [8] A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. [9] What do people really get for all their hard work?
When the Lord reveals a calling to me, the first thing that runs through my mind is, "OK, let's get this baby rolling." My mind immediately starts planning and anticipating how long it will be before it's up and operational. I'm excited! Wanting to see how it all turns out and not wanting to wait is pretty normal, I think.
Therein lies the problem. When the Lord lays out a path before us or reveals something He is calling us to, we don't want to wait. That is how we live much of our lives. When we want or "need" something, we run out and get it. I have been that way with my cars for a long time.
When I see one I want, or convince myself my time with one has come to an end, I make it happen with very little downtime.
When I get the new vehicle, I complete all the maintenance requirements up to its current mileage right away. Tune-up, new fluids, brakes, tires, and of course whatever repairs I see are needed. It has cost me well over a couple thousand dollars at times after the initial purchase. I do this because it makes me feel better and more comfortable with the vehicle... and because I have a bit of a problem. When I see something that needs to be done, I have to do it to make myself feel better. Does it all need to be completed immediately? No. A more thoughtful and gradual approach would make the burden much lighter, lessen the impact, and allow us to make wiser decisions.
The same thing can happen when the Lord calls us into ministry. We can jump the gun. If you think about the reasons behind it, they often come back to pride or selfishness. "I want this ministry at full potential now." "I can't wait to see how many people want to be a part of this."
When the reasons start with "I want," we've missed the mark. God's plans for our lives are never a new path that we have to figure out all on our own. Every new direction He gives us includes a timeline, a schedule, and even an invitation list, all set by the Lord and, most of the time, not revealed to us. That is part of waiting on God's timing.
This is so we stay close to the Lord, "keeping our ear to the ground listening for hoofbeats." Seeking the Lord daily and waiting on God's timing for the next step is just as important as saying "yes" in the first place. Daily obedience is what prepares us for what comes next.
Don't get ahead of the Lord's plans. Rest in the knowledge that your Heavenly Father has it all planned out, including the timeline and exactly where He wants you to be in each moment. If only one person shows up, we are expected to fulfill our calling as faithfully as if there were a thousand. Those who are faithful with little will also be faithful with much.
There is beauty in waiting on God's timing, even when we cannot yet see what He is building. Trust that the Lord is never late. He is preparing both the work and the worker for the moment He has already ordained.
Thank you, Father, for one more day. Amen.
Ecclesiastes 3:10-11
[10] I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. [11] Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.
