Do you remember when you were young and would look forward to your birthday? I remember counting down days from months before, anticipating the moment – the gifts, the family and the attention. But no matter how much I tried, I could never make time go quicker. I couldn’t change the date to suit my expectations. A day was still 24 hours long and there were a good number of those between my present reality and that precious day in the future.
In many ways, in our faith especially, we can have the same predicament. A big part of our faith journey is believing in the intentional promise of God. He has good things in store for us. Not only that, but He wants to partner with us in assigned activities. The way we think, the story we carry, our nature and our gifting are all part of what makes us uniquely effective for God’s Kingdom. So we pray and ask God for direction. We have dreams that seem impossible, but slowly become reality. We live in constant expectation for what God is going to use us for.
And between our present reality and the dreams God has put inside of us, there are an indefinite amount of days. This is where I used to struggle. If I could count down the days – know when things were going to turn around – I would be fine. Even if it was going to take a few years, I would be able to pace myself, manage my expectations and plan ahead. But God doesn’t do that for a reason. I have come to learn that He is not as interested in goal as we are. He is interested in our relationship with Him in the outworking of that promise. We see what our life could be and want to fight our way there. God shows us what He has in store for us and then begins addressing our present state with step one.
There is no room for impatience when it comes to faith. Faith is a confident dependence on God, who is not seen. It is described in the Bible as substance. You can live off of faith, but you cannot control it yourself. If you are impatient to reach what you believe God has given you, it reveals two issues that directly determine whether you have faith:
- You are not sure if your dream is from God
This is a legitimate concern. Believing the amazing things God might be revealing to you can be daunting. You want to accept it as truth, but you also want to make sure you do actually make it. So you strive to make it happen. You impatiently push yourself into situations you have no business being in – all in selfish expectation that the vision for your life can be achieved. But if it is truly a God vision you are chasing, you need to believe that God is going to orchestrate the opportunities and lead you to it.
I believe that God uses the dream as a bait for us to commit to growing in who we are – our character, our skills and our dependence on God. I have seen some crazy things happen in my life recently – things God placed in my heart that I couldn’t have made reality if I tried to. The thing is, I had to grow as a person to be able to get to see the promises become reality. When God told me what He had called me to, it was a very big deal, but now – after going through the hard times and the wait and the frustration – I am fully equipped and set up to own what God has called me to (obviously there is still a whole lot more in store, but I have learnt my lesson).
- You are not sure God can get you there
This is a fundamental flaw when it comes to being human. When your world is only made up of what is tangible, it affects what you believe is possible with God. I know we have to deal with all kinds of realities in life. But just because it is reality, doesn’t mean it is our forever. If God has given you hope for a better future; if he has placed dreams in you that don’t seem to make sense with your current position in life and in character – then you are going to have to believe that He will get you there. If God says it, God will do it. It just may not fit in with your desired timeline. Chase God, not His promises.
You may be in a place right now where you have no hope for your future. I remember times when I really struggled to believe that I was worth more than what I had. I know that when your present reality seems impossible, it is sometimes hard to believe God is possible – but He is. He is waiting to take you on an awesome adventure that will change how you see yourself and the world around you. If you want to know more about what it means to have faith, click on the link below.