General Stuff

Wait a minute (or ten)

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We’re not the best at waiting, are we? Whether it’s at the DMV, at an amusement park, or at an exceptionally long light, it seems that we aren’t wired to wait.

My guess, though, is that we are, and what we need more than anything is to rewire ourselves to wait because waiting is powerful.

Waiting allows us to prepare, to focus, to plan. It allows us to breathe in so that we can give out. An interesting story in the Bible offers another benefit: waiting can actually make us more productive.

In the book of Nehemiah we find the cupbearer to the king upset over the broken down walls of his hometown and he sensed God wanted him to rebuild them. Now, this wasn’t as simple as a trip to Lowes to get sheetrock. These walls were thick, the project was massive, and the walls were rebuilt in FIFTY-TWO DAYS!

Why? Because before he started to work, Nehemiah spent 4 months waiting for God to give him the plan, power, and provision that he would need.

120 days waiting. 52 days working.

Nehemiah spent more time waiting on God than he did working for God.

[Tweet “Sometimes we need to spend more time waiting on God than working for God.”]

There’s a lesson in that for us, so the next time you feel rushed to do something for God, wait a minute. Or two. Or ten.

It’ll pay big dividends when the project begins.

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January 22, 2021by Paul Jenkins
Written by Paul Jenkins
Paul Jenkins is lead pastor of The Gathering, a community church located in beautiful downtown Albemarle, North Carolina. He's the author of God is My Air Traffic Controller and My Name's Not Lou. Paul is passionate about his wife, his 3 children, running, reading, coaching, leading people who are following Jesus, Swedish Fish and the Carolina Panthers.