What to Do When God Makes You Wait

Nobody likes to wait, especially in our fast-paced world. We enjoy fast food, instant connections with people via social media, and on-demand news updates.

Yet life still makes us wait on many things, whether it’s discovering our vocation, finding a new job, or recovering from a long illness.

God gives us a special virtue to help with the waiting: patience. It’s something we can all use more of.

Patience helps you hold onto something good and preserve the use of your reason despite obstacles, especially obstacles that have stood in your way for a long time.

For example, you may have to care for a sick loved one for a month. This places some obstacles in the way of certain goods you want to pursue, such as traveling. Patience helps you wait for that good or opens you up to another good God wants to give you in its place.

Patience balances you between two extremes.
Some people expect nothing but bad things out of life. Others think they are above misfortune. Both extremes are dangerous.

God wants you to experience some trials in life to help you grow, but He doesn’t want you to be destroyed by them. Patience helps you peacefully accept that bad things will happen and fortifies you so you can face them. The good will win in the end.

Patience doesn’t require you to be a doormat. There are some obstacles in life that you should confront. For example, if you’re bullied at work or school, you should take steps to stop it. (This may require getting help from others and that’s OK.)

Be assured that God will grant you complete freedom from tribulations if you follow Him. He can neither deceive nor be deceived. Meditate often on this truth to find the patience to bear whatever life brings you.