God's Waiting RoomSample

Have you ever found yourself saying, "I'm waiting on God," when in reality, He might be waiting on you?

I've been there more times than I care to admit. Just the other morning during my quiet time, I was bringing a financial concern before the Lord when His gentle but firm response stopped me in my tracks: "Do you remember the last thing I told you to do? You still haven't done that."

Ouch. His loving conviction penetrated my heart.

In our spiritual journey, we often confuse patience with procrastination. Patience is a beautiful fruit of the Spirit—it's self-control manifested in waiting with purpose. Procrastination, however, masks itself as wisdom when it's actually avoidance of what God has already made clear.

"Those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength," Isaiah 40:31 promises. However, there is a profound difference between waiting on the Lord and keeping the Lord waiting.

I confess that procrastination has been a struggle in my walk with Christ. I have assignments left undone, conversations postponed, and steps of obedience delayed. When my calendar fills up and God places something before me that requires sacrifice or courage, how quickly I think, "Lord, perhaps this isn't the right season."

Scripture speaks clearly to this hesitation. Partial obedience is simply disobedience clothed in good intentions. When God illuminates our path and we choose to linger in the shadows, we are not being cautious; we are being disobedient. We might call it "seeking more clarity," but James 1:8 describes it differently: "A double-minded person is unstable in all their ways."

This spiritual indecisiveness creates a cycle that distances us from God's best. First comes delay, which breeds confusion, leading to hesitation, and ultimately results in further postponement. Before long, we're earnestly praying for guidance we've already received.

Consider young Samuel in 1 Samuel 3. When he finally recognized the Lord's voice, his response wasn't tentative or conditional. It was immediate and complete: "Speak, for your servant is listening." Not "I'll consider Your words" or "Let me finish what I'm doing first." Just simple, childlike obedience.

Pause and Ponder: Take a moment to quiet your heart before the Lord. What has He been asking of you that remains undone? Is there a conversation awaiting your courage? A health decision requiring your commitment? A ministry opportunity you've been contemplating? A relationship needing reconciliation?