Posted

I am impatient.

I want what I want when I want it.
I want it now.
I want it perfect.
And I don’t ever want to have to wait.

Sounds pretty selfish, right? I know, I am working on it!

The culture in which we live is a ‘now’ world, where convenience and getting what you want, when you want it is expected, so I wanted to call out my own impatience.

This may not be incredibly “revelational” as I know a lot of people struggle with impatience, but God brought it to the forefront of my life recently, showing me that I was depending too much on my own time frame and when I thought things should be done.

I was taking control instead of giving God control because of impatience.

When I am impatient I tend to lean on my own understanding, my own might (ability, knowledge, strength) and I lose sight of who called me to it in the first place.

You see, my home is on the market. We have been trying to sell it for a few months. It was becoming exhausting trying to keep the house “show ready” and I just wanted the house to magically sell, just like that. NOW! Because waiting is no fun.

I received a text from the realty company on Thursday for a house showing on Saturday. I was so excited. I confirmed the showing and went on with my day. On Friday morning, when I woke up, I prayed before I even got out of bed.

My prayer went a little something like this, “Lord, thank you so much for this home You have given us. I praise You and will wait on Your timing for the right buyer to come along. I pray the showing tomorrow goes well and that You would do as You see fit concerning our house. I trust You and Your timing. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Not even TWO seconds after I said ‘amen’ my phone dinged, sending me another alert from the realty company. The house showing for Saturday had been CANCELLED.

You know what my first thought was?

The devil is a liar!

After I had just told God I trusted His timing for our house to sell, a potential buyer walked away before even seeing the house.

So what did I do next?

I held myself accountable to my prayer. I said I TRUSTED God and His timing and I meant it. I had to refuse to let my impatience get the best of me, so I cleaned my house like the showing was still on. I mopped like a mad woman, folded laundry, vacuumed, wiped countertops, scrubbed toilets, and made all the beds to perfection.

I had faith and expectancy that God still had a plan. I just had to wait for Him.

Two hours later my phone dinged. Another buyer scheduled a showing for that night!

Now, no offers have come through yet, but I know that God’s timing is PERFECT and if I just do what I can, where I am at while I am waiting, He will take care of the rest!

My impatience has never gotten me a faster result or placed me where I wanted to be, but trusting God and His timing has ALWAYS given me what I needed when I needed it!

So why hold on to my own understanding of time when I have a God who time cannot hold?

My impatience is what holds me back, not time, so I am challenging myself to trust God’s timing more than ever before.

Scriptures I am clinging to as I grow in patience:

Psalm 43:5 (NET) “Why are you depressed, O my soul? Why are you upset? Wait for God!”
Exodus 14:13 (NIV) “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today.”
Romans 12:12 (NIV) “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
James 1:4 (KJV) “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

I don’t know what you are waiting for, my friend, but my encouragement to you is be patient. God’s timing is better than ours.

Blessings,
Mandy Fender

Share this page: