waiting

There is a sense in which our faith needs to be active by being passive, at times. We see this in Jesus, who resisted evil, not only by doing good, but by refusing to retaliate for wrongs done. We see this over and over in Scripture, when God's people in obeying God set themselves up for ridicule, scorn and persecution (and even possibly death). Yet simply do God's will, and leave the outcome in God's hands.

I find this faith in waiting, an act of passivity. This kind of waiting I'm thinking of here, is the kind that realizes things are not right in a situation. That wrong is being done. Or attitudes are not right. And that sometimes even one's own attitude may not be right. But this waiting is active, in that it's a wait on God. In prayer. In silence, except on the rare occasion when we seem moved to speak in love, or act in some way, in love. I realize things are out of kilter, things are not right. But I wait on God. To change me from wrong to right, or more into conformity to him and his will. To change others. To do what only God can do.

I can be praying "the Lord's prayer" and other prayers. Pondering Scripture and waiting in silence before the Lord, even in the midst of other things I may have to be doing.

And this waiting takes time and persistence on our part. And an openness to the Spirit and to others to hear God's voice and see his answer. We can be confident we're on a good track, because in this kind of waiting, our goal is to see God's will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

If we follow through here, we may not see the answer come as we may have thought. But at least God will certainly change us. And help us, together with others, to be people after his own heart, who will do, in our lives (not pefectly, but habitually) all of God's will.

What has God taught you in regard to waiting, especially in the way we're thinking about here? What might you like to share about this?