Time Is On Your Side

It is no secret that we live in a hurry up world.  We expect fast results and are never really willing to wait for anything.  I mean can you think of the last time you heard someone say when they finally get waited on in a crowded restaurant or long line at grocery store, "No worries, I'm not in a hurry" with a smile and not sarcasm?  I'm as guilty as the next guy.  A true student of the culture.

As per usual, when we are able we watch Andy Stanley's live service on Sunday mornings.  This week we were able to tune in before we left for church.  I was so encouraged by the message I wanted to tell you a little about it.

Many of you know that our family is in a season of waiting. The parts of the message (there are too many to note here) that resonated with me were regarding time.  Get this:

I learned that "when you are in pain physically or emotionally, you become self-absorbed.  It's the natural reaction to pain.  Self-absorbed people make self-absorbed decisions."  Basically, when you are in pain you are not healthy but you don't have to stay there.

"When you are healthy, you have clarity.
When you have clarity, you make better decisions.
Until you  have clarity, you have no business making decisions.
Clarity takes time."

Here's more:

"People God used in a historical way almost all had a Round 1 (a failure - something they've done or something that's been done to them) then a Round 2 with an interval of time in between.  In every single instance there was an interval of years."  Think Moses, David, Paul.  Which one of you wants to sign up for that?

I know, not great news, right?

Bring it down to us, basically two groups of people.  The ones who navigate their Round 1 well, wait for God allowing Him to prepare them for what's next.  Then there are the people who think that time's a wasting, they've waited long enough, learned their lesson and are sure they'll do better next time without waiting.

For the sake of being positive, let's talk about the results from the first group.

"There is always more time in the in-between than they're comfortable with and when they come out on the other side and get to the next thing, 2 things emerge in the gap:

1.  A divine sense of destiny
2.  An abiding humility

They say things like, 'God is up to something in my life and has a purpose for me.'  and even, 'I wouldn't trade anything for what I learned.  I am a better person for what I took away from it.'"

I've met people like this and I bet you have too.  They inspire us to deeper character don't they?  They know through their experience of waiting what we want to experience right now.  They've learned that time is our friend not our enemy.

Andy went on to teach a verse many of us are very familiar with.  Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things, God works
 for the good of all those who love Him, who have been 

called according to His purpose.

In other words, if you and I are willing to take a deep breath and allow Him to, God will work through that thing we wish would go away.  If we allow Him to use all those 'things', they will potentially benefit us and someone else.

But if we don't allow God to use all things, all those things will come back to haunt us and He won't redeem and bring value to them.  This is a mistake.

He said, "The common denominator in all of your mistakes is you.  You follow yourself around.  Wherever you go, there you are."  Funny, but true - let's just own that.

All we have to do is love Him - which means to surrender to His way not our way recognizing that He is God and we are not and His will is more important than ours.

God can leverage purpose out of our 'anything' if we invite Him to.  That's so great!  Did you need to hear that too?

And didn't you LOVE the part of how it will eventually benefit someone else?  That's so purposeful.

Would you excuse me? 

I have to go pray.

*All quotes from Andy Stanley

You can listen to the whole message - and I pray you take the 37 minutes to do so HERE