Word to the Wise...Wisdom in the Waiting

I don’t like waiting.  I mean let’s be honest though, does anyone really like waiting? You should also know that I am a fast walker, like really fast. My kids have a hard time keeping up with me at the grocery store or shopping at the mall.   This trait isn’t always positive as I have often found myself making careless mistakes, not communicating well, misplacing things or missing important details due to always being in a hurry. This ends up with me overwhelmed with my day, because I didn’t leave any margin between commitments and activities, frustrating myself and also those who are closest to me.   

The book of Proverbs has some insight into living a life that is fast paced, and become accustomed to a hurried lifestyle, “Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes.” (Proverbs 19:2) 

Wisdom is a tricky thing, sometimes difficult to hear and often difficult to follow.  Haste makes mistakes. Hastiness in decision making can be especially detrimental, when it has long terms often unexpected consequences.  

I think in the context of wisdom in decision making we need to place a high value on two things, first taking time to seek wisdom from God and second, taking time to seek counsel from people who have more wisdom than you.  One thing I love about scripture is that God gave it to you so we always have access to it’s wisdom, it has the ability to reflect our lives in every situation and hasty decision making is no different.

We find a couple who made a hasty decision in the account of Abraham and Sarah is found in Genesis 22.  They are waiting for a child, a promise from God to be fulfilled. Sarah, in haste makes a decision to take matters into her own hands.  She neither sought wisdom from God or the advice of a trusted friend. Instead, she hastily decided to give her maid to Abraham so he could have a child through her.  This created unexpected consequences for Sarah, Abraham, Hagar (her maid) and also the child that came from the union. The effects of Sarah’s hasty decision had a lasting consequence that we are still seeing the strife from even today. 

This account of Sarah and Hagar happened thousands of years ago and yet it still speaks to us today.  I can think of situations when I have grown tired of waiting on God and taken matters into my own hands and tried to work my own plans.  

There are many wonderful and amazing things that we get to experience because we live in the technological time that we do.  We are able to find information within seconds, everything is done fast, we can get directions, check our email, text a friend, all within seconds.  What this has done however for many of us is made us hasty people, people who don’t like to wait.  

The Bible tells us in Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

If we want to be women who are strong in the Lord, we also must be women who are willing to wait on the Lord. There is wisdom in waiting.  I am learning that it is in my seasons of waiting that I learn to hear the voice of Jesus more clearly than ever before.  It is often when I am waiting for direction that I experience intimate moments with Jesus that he speaks truth and life into my soul.  It is in the waiting that I develop and grow in my spirit.  

Hastiness in our relationship with Jesus doesn’t help us fulfill our calling and purpose faster, in fact, it takes us the long way around.  This way of mistakes, of bad decisions and wrong turns. I would love to encourage you today to pause. Pause and listen to what the spirit of the Lord would say to you. Sit and wait for him, don’t talk, don’t rush, just wait for Jesus.  

During the month of July I will be the featured Voice with Women of Faith Ambassadors. We will focus on some of the areas I’ve touched on in this blog, as well as others as we take a look at wisdom.  It is so important to self assess so God can reveal truth and move us forward.

Click here to become a Women of Faith Ambassador today and engage with other women who are just like you!

Carrie Erikson 

Carrie Erikson is the co-pastor of  Mercy City Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, alongside her husband Matt. They planted Mercy City in 2015 and have seen radical growth in the church, launching a second location at the beginning of 2018. Before moving to Lincoln, she lived in Macon, GA, and Rockford, IL, Carrie and Matt served as campus pastors and youth pastors for nearly 14 years. Matt and Carrie have been married since 2001 and have four children, Cooper (15), Elijah and Emery (14), and Lilah Jane (8).

Carrie is a graduate of Liberty University with a Bachelor's Degree in Christian Counseling.  She is a Voice with Women of Faith and regularly teaches Women of Faith Ambassadors.  She has been blogging since 2012 and is currently working on her first book.

Carrie’s heart is to see people find hope in Christ, no matter what their circumstance or situation. It is her greatest hope that people can find freedom in God’s faithfulness. She has traveled all over the US and internationally in 7 other countries bringing a message of hope. It is truly her heart's desire to see every knee bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.

Learn more about Carrie at CarrieErikson.com