The Waiting Room: A Place of PurposeSample

Surrender To His Perfect Will

Waiting is hard and often involves an unknown outcome, which can create feelings of anxiety and frustration. In the waiting room, uncertainty about what will happen next can make the waiting process challenging. The hardship of waiting on God lies in the relentless battle between faith and doubt that emerges within us. We struggle with our own comprehension as we wrestle with the conflict between our perception and our faith. The whispers of doubt taunts us with questions of "Why?" and "When?" while faith stands firm, holding tightly to the promises of a God.

However, the best way to overcome fear and uncertainty in the waiting room is to surrender to God and His perfect will. I believe many of us struggle to follow God's will because we do not fully surrender to Him. We want to do it our way, we make haste decisions, we want quick results, and we want them now! Proverbs 3:5 says, "Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding." To fully surrender to the perfect will of God, we have to relinquish our control and plans and tell God "not my will, but your will be done."

Look at Jesus who is a perfect example of someone who came and whose mission was not to be served but to serve. When Jesus was about to face the cross, He prayed "Not My will, but Yours be done," because He whole heartedly submitted to His Father’s will.

Here are some ways we can surrender to God in the waiting room:

1. Lean on His Sovereignty: Joseph faced numerous trials and challenges. He was sold into slavery by his brothers and was falsely accused and imprisoned. But through it all Joseph remained faithful and trusted in God's power. Because he relied on the sovereignty of God, he was able to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, which provided him with a plan to store grain during the years of abundance to prepare for the years of famine. Which then led him to being appointed second in command of Egypt. Despite the years of suffering and hardship he endured, Joseph recognized that God was at work behind the scenes, orchestrating events according to His plan. "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" (Genesis 50:20, NIV). Surrendering to God acknowledges His sovereignty over our lives and situations. It's an acknowledgment that God's plans are higher than our own, and His timing is perfect.

2. Align Your Heart With His Will: Jesus' time in Gethsemane exemplifies perfect alignment with God's will. Despite experiencing distress about the upcoming suffering and death He was about to face, Jesus submits Himself completely to God's plan. He earnestly prayed that the cup be taken from Him. However, in the same breath, He surrenders His own will to the will of the Father, acknowledging that God's plan ultimately supersedes His own desires. Because of His obedience to the will of God, He willingly laid down His life for the salvation of humanity, completing what His Farther sent Him to do. Surrendering to God is an act of aligning our hearts with His will. It's an act of humility and submission, acknowledging that God knows what is best for us.

3. Confess: Be open and honest with God. Identify those areas in your life where you have trouble giving up control and ask God for grace to let go. Show Him that you want to depend on Him and fully and completely surrender to His will.

In God's waiting room, does your heart say YES to His perfect will?