Be still and wait patiently for the Lord. Do not fret. . .”
Psalm 37:7
A Way of Life
An article from NPR (National Public Radio News) once claimed that we as a country and a culture have become “the Impatient Nation.” The broadcast stated:
“We Speed date. Eat fast food. Use the self-checkout lines in grocery stores. Try the “one weekend” diet. Pay extra for overnight shipping. Honk when the light turns green. Thrive or dive on quarterly earnings reports. Speak in half sentences. Start things but don’t fin …We tweet stories in 140 characters or less, yet some tweets are too long. We cut corners, take shortcuts. We txt. We Clamor for more safety in the skies, then complain when security takes too long—and is inconvenient.”[1]
Quick results to complex problems have certainly become a lucrative market and a way of life. Solutions are desperately sought in the fastest and perhaps the easiest way possible. And, when the expected end is not obtained quickly, we have become conditioned to demand better treatment or service, even at the risk of civil behavior.
The Real Problem
I suppose most of us may stand guilty of growing impatient when something takes too long – growing impatient with the slow process of incidental matters. I have been honked at recently because I did not “go” quickly enough when the light turned green. But, as soon as I felt the need to chasten my fellow driver in my mind, I found myself tempted to be impatient with a slower driver in front of me.
But, well beyond the incidentals of life, there exists a greater problem with impatience. As a child of God, there have been occasions in life when my response to adverse situations revealed a spirit of fretfulness. And in most instances, the painful hindsight taught me that I should have waited more earnestly on God. Psalm 37:7 teaches us that fretfulness can challenge the necessity to wait upon the Lord. Fretfulness can cause us to be impatient with God.
A friend emailed me a humorous quote last week: “I had my patience tested, and the results came back negative.” I am certain most of us can identify. Yet, although impatience may seem to be a rather normal expression in life, the absence of patience can sometimes reflect a false perspective of God’s timing, God’s will, and God’s way. Many times, patience can give way to fretfulness as we erroneously conclude that God has forgotten us, or just doesn’t care to be involved with our present plight.
The Bible’s Answer
In Psalm 37:7, we are reminded by David to wait upon the Lord instead of succumbing to a fretful spirit. Sometimes we run ahead in our conclusions and in our assessments of life. And our flesh calls the shots instead of the Spirit of Jesus within us. So, fretfulness can make us run in fear, or run ahead of God.
When fretfulness tempts you to be impatient, be still (as instructed by Psalm 37:7). This is literally translated, “be silent before the Lord.” Stop, close your mouth, and let Him do the talking – let His spirit and truth speak to you.
Being still involves two very positive responses to the nature of God. First, relinquish control. Psalm 46:1 reflects God’s call to every troubled heart: “be still and know that I am God.” A more accurate translation is, “cease striving.” Many times, we grow impatient with God and with our circumstances because we do not know how to hand Him our troubles. “Cease striving” represents the invitation to take our hand off the circumstance (meaning we cease trying to fix things ourselves) and relinquish all control to Him. Second, wait upon the Lord. Waiting, in the language of the Old Testament, does not convey inactivity, but rather a life that serves and worships in God’s presence while trusting that He will provide a way – His way. True waiting, in this sense, measures accurately how well we have or haven’t relinquished control to God. Through waiting, we trust and become confident that He will raise us up as if on wings of eagles (Isaiah 40:31). In the face of challenges – the seemingly incidental or the monumental, we do not have to prove ourselves. Instead, we wait upon Him.
So today, do not fret. Wait upon the Lord. And, if you are tempted to take matters into your own hands, stop! Wait! Rest! Listen! He has something to say to you. He has something to accomplish in you. Wait upon Him.
Blessings,
Ken
[1] David Finch, Elk Grove, California: source: Linton Weeks, “Impatient Nation: I Can’t Wait for You to Read This,” NPR (12-6-10)
