You don't have to hurry...
... because God is listening slowly.
One of the most common complaints I hear from clients in the law business is, “Why is this taking so long?” It’s an interesting quandary. Most clients come to us at the point when things are catastrophically damaged. A marriage that has been on the rocks for years if not decades. An estate belonging to a loved one who died so long ago the time for probating the estate has expired. And as my boss sometimes can only respond, “You’re asking me to unscramble an egg and it just isn’t possible.”
It’s funny how we perceive things. We let the important things like that fester and drag our feet on action until the situation is almost untenable. Then when it comes to the less important things we’re in a state of frenzy. Zooming in and out of traffic because we’re late for an appointment. Cutting forward be the first in line because we’ve got ten other errands to run in a single afternoon. Punching the button at the crosswalk hoping it will give us the signal to walk sooner.
I read a story about a man whose little one came to him frantically, placing two tiny hands on either side of his face to get his attention, “Daddy, I have something to tell you and I’ll try to hurry.”
“It’s okay, you don’ have to hurry.”
“Well, but can you listen slowly?”
What a blessing is it that our heavenly father always has time for us? There isn’t a single second in a single day when He isn’t waiting for us to come to Him. He always listens to us. And he listens to us slowly.
Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him. Isaiah 30:18
God hears even the things we don’t say, even the things we can’t yet confess, even the things we don’t yet know about ourselves. God listens very, very slowly to that he hears every single part of us.
Have you heard that everything worthwhile takes time? It’s absolutely true.
God’s eternal patience doesn’t just apply to Him waiting for us to come to Him. It applies to the ways that He works in our lives after we invite Him in.
But we’re a lot like my clients sometimes. We expect that the moment we call on God that everything will be rainbows and unicorns immediately.
Our hearts take time to grow, to heal, to learn. Much longer than we’d like it to. As I’ve been in a pattern of revival with my faith journey I’ve found myself pedaling hard, trying to move faster because I feel like I’m so far behind the pack.
But what pack? I’m not running a race with anyone. The harder I push, the more labored I get and the harder it is for me to hear the word God is speaking in my life.
I imagine the apostles were a little bit like that. As they came to understand that Jesus was their messiah, they would have been anxious to “hit the ground running.” They were looking for a savior and wanted to be rescued immediately. But they didn’t even fully understand from what they would be rescued.
But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:39
Jesus understood and was trying to show them that everything happens in its own time.
The scripture tells us Jesus spent three years in ministry. And in that time he was with His apostles, honing them, teaching them, listening to and hearing them.
Then he suffered and died for their sins and ours. After making the sacrifice, He rose from the dead three days later, defeating death and thereby being glorified.
And even after that, he spent forty more days with his disciples before ascending into heaven. Yet because he knew them, he heard the needs of their hearts and He promised He would give them help as they set out on their live missions.
They would have to wait ten more days to see that promise fulfilled...
Everything worthwhile takes time...
Blessings,
Candace Olivia Hardin Sessums
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What a great reminder!! I too find myself wanting things to happen faster or feeling like I'm behind. But that's not God's way. It all happens in His timing!