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When You’re Weary and Waiting

June 10, 2016 by Marissa 2 Comments

A few weeks ago, I learned something about myself as I stood in the checkout line at Kohl’s.

My daughter and I got in line behind a man who was already checking out, so I figured it would be quick. But then the cashier started pressuring him to open a Kohl’s charge account, promising a significant discount on his pile of dress shirts.

I tried to keep a pleasant expression on my face as the customer told her he already had a Kohl’s card and she began several failed attempts to locate his account. She continued to pitch the new account, and he repeatedly said “no thanks.” My mood soured. I tried not to glare at both of them.

As he decided to fill out the credit card application, I no longer bothered to hide my annoyance. I sighed and rolled my eyes and commiserated with my daughter about how long it was taking. And let’s not even talk about my reaction when his application was denied. (Imagine several wailing-face emojis here.)

When it was finally my turn to check out, I was struck with conviction. The swell of impatience, frustration and even anger in my heart in those few minutes made it clear: I stink at waiting.

At Kohl’s, I knew I would eventually pay for my items and leave the store. But often when we wait on the Lord, we don’t know if or when we will ever receive what we’re waiting for. It’s hard to wait with no end in sight.

Right now I’m waiting for my house to sell. I decluttered and staged and now all I can do is wait. After a few weeks, the waiting led to irritability, and irritability led to grumpiness that spilled over into my relationships. Did I mention I stink at waiting?!

After a few days of snapping at every thoughtful friend who asked about the house-selling endeavor, I turned to God’s Word for help. This is what I found:

The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. (Lamentations 3:25-26)

The Lord is good. The first truth we see in this verse is that we can trust the Lord to give us good things, in His good timing, according to His good plans. Waiting becomes easier when I understand that His plans are always good, even when they are different from my plans. He is God, and I am not.

The Lord is always good, and He is always good to me. I believe it, but often when I’m waiting, I forget to act like I believe it. My impatience results from lack of belief in God’s goodness and faithfulness to me. I must constantly remind myself that God is good in every situation.

What is my soul seeking? The second step to waiting well is to seek the Lord for who He is, not just the blessings He gives. What consumes my thoughts? What excites or upsets me? The answer to these questions reveals what my soul is seeking.

When my heart is consumed by the object I’m waiting for, I will be disappointed, unfulfilled and discontent. If my heart’s desire is for the Lord, I will be satisfied. It is a constant struggle to turn my heart from what I want and seek the Lord. A heart that seeks the Lord can wait quietly.

Thank Him for what He’s given. When I struggle with waiting, I’m usually focused on what I don’t have rather than what I’ve already been given. The Lord has given me all I truly need: salvation by grace through faith in His Son.

As I plead with Him for my desires and ask Him to end my waiting, I need to remember that what I’m asking for pales in comparison to the grace and mercy I’ve already received. Romans 8:32 reminds us that God, who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will also graciously give us all things.

I don’t know if my house will sell. But I know God is the giver of good things. When my heart seeks the Lord, I can be content. And I can wait quietly, knowing that the One who gave His Son for me will give me all that I need.

What are you waiting for? How can these steps bring peace to your waiting time? Try turning Lamentations 3:25-26 into a prayer that you can pray to God as you wait on Him.

When We Slam into the Wall of God’s “Wait”

March 31, 2016 by Marissa Leave a Comment

There’s something I want.

My desire is materialistic, and no small matter, but almost everyone I’ve told agrees it’s a great idea. (I have very convincing arguments.)

Only one obstacle stands in the way: my husband isn’t ready for me to have it.

And I hate being told “not right now.”

When my husband first started voicing concerns, I didn’t pay much attention. I only heard the messages I was speaking to myself: “You deserve to be happy. There’s no reason not to fix this for yourself.”

Determined to get what I wanted, I repeatedly slammed into the wall of my husband’s hesitation. Arguments began. I trampled over his opinions, armed with the certainty that I was right.

But rather than crumbling my husband’s resolve, the Lord started to crumble mine. You probably know the feeling—those little bursts of conviction working on your heart.

I decided to invite an older, wiser friend to lunch and ask her advice. When I explained the situation, I had a feeling she wouldn’t say, “Just ignore what your husband thinks. Get what you want.”

And I was right.

My friend gently pointed out my wrong thinking, selfish attitude, discontentment, and lack of gratitude for what God’s already given me. She reminded me that I can trust God to give me good things. I can wait on Him, because His ways are perfect.

Did I know these truths? Absolutely.

Was I acting like it? Not one bit.

As we spoke, God lovingly pried these desires from my hands and placed them into His. I’m still tempted to grab them back sometimes. I start to worry that He won’t ever give me something I think is good for me.

In Matthew 6, we read about God’s care for the grass of the field and the birds of the air. And Jesus calls us out in our unbelief: “O you of little faith . . . do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all” (Matthew 6:31-32, emphasis mine).

Here’s the bottom line: Can I trust that what the Lord gives me is always best? Can I believe that what He withholds was never mine to begin with? Can I have faith that my heavenly Father will give me everything I need?

What do you want that God isn’t giving? Are you struggling to trust His provision? Will you join me in learning to trust that God gives us all we need? Can we put our good desires into His hands and leave them there, waiting on His timing and His perfect ways?

Let’s celebrate both that God can be trusted and that His grace covers all our unbelief as we struggle to trust Him more fully.

God Will Complete the Good Work {No Matter What Monday}

March 21, 2016 by Marissa Leave a Comment

Do you ever wonder what in the world God is doing? I do.

I wonder what He’s doing in our world, in our country, and in the lives of those around me.

And I often wonder what He’s doing with me. I wonder what He’s doing in me.

Philippians 1:6 gives insight into those questions: “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.”

Other Scriptures say it this way:

“I cry out to the God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me” (Psalm 57:2).

“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands” (Psalm 138:8).

“[God] who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (I Thessalonians 5:24).

God began a good work in me when He redeemed me by His grace and sent His Spirit to live in me. And this good work will be finished someday, because the Lord who is faithful will surely do it!

I love this quote about how God uses our suffering to complete His good work in us:

“God is faithful; he will use the brokenness of the world that is your present address to complete the loving work of personal transformation that he has begun” (Paul David Tripp, New Morning Mercies, March 8 devotional).

When I feel discouraged by the sin that runs rampant in this world and the sin that runs rampant in my own heart, I can take comfort in knowing that the Lord will fulfill all His purposes for me.

No matter what, you can trust your faithful God to complete the loving work of transformation He has begun in you.

The Jerk in the Starbucks Parking Lot

February 24, 2016 by Marissa Leave a Comment

As I drove into the Starbucks parking lot, I saw a large gray Buick pull into a place reserved for those with disabilities. The lot wasn’t full, so I left an empty space on the driver’s side of the Buick and pulled in two spots over.

I looked over, expecting to see an elderly woman driving the car. But instead, I saw a younger man with long hair and a hoodie. If I encountered him in a dark parking garage, let’s just say I’d be mentally reviewing my knowledge of self-defense.

“Some jerk is driving his grandma’s car and taking advantage of her disabled license plate,” I thought to myself.

I can’t stand it when people park in those spots and don’t need them. I’m far from perfect, but that’s something I’ve never been tempted to do. And in that moment, looking at the young man committing a grievous offense, I judged him harshly. I looked down on him from my tower of parking perfection.

I love rules. To be more precise, I love the rules I can follow. Don’t commit adultery. Check. Attend worship regularly. Double check. Don’t take God’s name in vain. Got it covered.

But when I start thinking about scriptures exhorting me to love my enemies, I start squirming. I can’t even patiently and sacrificially love the people who mean the most to me. Be content with what I have? Consider others more significant than myself? Wait, there’s got to be a loophole in here somewhere.

That’s how it is with judging others, isn’t it? I’m quick to judge those who sin in ways I don’t. And I’m quick to ignore sin in others that I’d rather not face in myself.

When I’m secretly shaking my finger at others, I’ve forgotten I’m dependent on God’s grace to cover all my sin. I’ve forgotten that I’m not accepted because I can keep any of the rules. I’m accepted because Christ kept God’s law perfectly and died to save my rule-breaking soul. As a sinner saved by grace, I am called to extend grace to others.

Back in that Starbucks parking lot, I gathered my things and started to get out of the car. I watched as the young man in the Buick emerged from his car with a significant limp. He hurried to the door and opened it for a woman as she approached the coffee shop.

The only jerk in the parking lot that morning was me.

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