The Art of Waiting

A Word from John Oswalt

A Word from John Oswalt

Biblically speaking ‘to wait’ is to manifest the kind of trust that is willing to commit itself to God over the long haul. It is to continue to believe and expect when all others have given up. It is to believe that it is better for something to happen in God’s time than for it to happen on my initiative in my time. — John Oswalt

In John 7, there is an exchange between Jesus and his brothers that is instructive. The Feast of Booths was taking place, and Jesus’s brothers, under the pretense of offering helpful advice, said to him:

“Leave here and go to Judea so that your disciples also may see the works you are doing, for no one who wants to be widely known acts in secret. If you do these things, show yourself to the world” (John 7:3-4).

Their words fit into our “get things done” culture. They represent plain old common sense, emerging from apparently stone-cold practical minds. We might interpret them as: “If you’re trying to make an impact, go to where the crowd is and market yourself! Stop doing miracles on the outskirts, get to where the action is!”

I’ve always struggled with this kind of approach in ministry. I’ve felt the urge to act now, take advantage of the moment, and be decisive. Those can be very good qualities when done in response to God’s activity. However, when they occur apart from God, they are downright satanic.

Think back to when Jesus was in the wilderness, another occasion when he was on the receiving end of advice on how to succeed. On each occasion he refused to act, refused to take the easy road; instead, he chose the patient way of his Father. He chose to wait and accomplish his mission in God’s perfect way and time.

How could Jesus turn down what appeared to be wonderful opportunities? The answer lies in what he was looking at. His eyes were not primarily on the opportunity but on God, and he saw the opportunity through God. In another place he said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise” (John 5:19).

If we would experience the blessing of waiting on God, we will need to learn to see all things through God. This includes no-brainer opportunities and looming deadlines. We will need to resist the temptation to analyze and act on our own, leaning on our own understanding to make things happen.

King Saul famously fell into this trap. He was supposed to wait on the prophet Samuel to come and offer a sacrifice before going into battle. When Samuel was delayed, he decided to offer it himself. Why did he do it? His eyes were on the circumstances.

“When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering” (1 Samuel 13:11-12).

John Oswalt’s quote reminds me that situations like these are when waiting on the Lord is most important. When we are called to do God’s work sometimes things will get tense as time grows short; sometimes shining opportunities that require our immediate response will descend upon us like majestic angels of light. The temptation to act will be severe, but waiting will provide an experience of deliverance that will make an unshakeable impression on our faith.

When we learn to wait on God, when we endeavor to see things through his eyes, we will discover that his ways are perfect, his will cannot be thwarted, and especially when it seems like all is lost, waiting on him will create a moment of experiencing his salvation.

“What about initiative?” someone will ask. There is a place for that in a life with God, but even initiative is in response to something God is doing. Like the two servants in the Parable of the Talents, the most faithful initiative is the kind that happens in response to God’s action.

Waiting on God and taking initiative do not have to be seen as opposing forces but they can be seen as complementary aspects of a lively relationship with God. In this way, we truly live out our calling as disciples of Jesus, embodying his patience and decisiveness in perfect harmony.

Jesus ended up going to the Feast of Booths, but he didn’t go the way his brothers wanted him to go. He didn’t hand out business cards or rent a booth on the best corner. He went up privately, in step with his Father.

Thank you to Carole Hains for reminding me of John Oswalt’s quote.

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