Patience before Productivity

Technology has its benefits. This very blog which we produce for your benefit is only possible because of technology, and I am thankful. There is a ‘bad side’ to technology. Technology has created a sense of instant gratification. Sometimes it’s just better to wait.

Brethren, working together with him, we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, “At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation.” Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in any one’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watching, hunger; by purity, knowledge, forbearance, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

2^nd Corinthians 6.1-10

Living in an instant gratification society has its difficulties. Sure, we receive news much faster than even a generation ago, but maybe that isn’t a good thing either. No, I’m not anti-technology. I’m not against 24-hour news cycles. But all this instant stuff has its downside.

When we pray, we also expect immediate results from God. We expect that new job NOW. We want that new relationship NOW. We need that blessing NOW. We don’t stop to think that God knows better than we do. We don’t realize that God has His ‘own timing’ to bless us.

Interestingly Saint Paul today is trying to get the Corinthians to move quickly to be prepared for salvation. That isn’t my point today. My point today is the understanding that God says, “At the acceptable time I have listened to you.” Only God knows the acceptable time. We do not.

As I often say, there are three answers to every prayer. “Yes” “No” or some version of “Not Yet.” That is what today’s blog is about. Sometimes, maybe even most of the time, the answer God gives to our prayer is, “Not Yet.” Our only option is to trust His timing.

Trusting God’s timing requires patience. We either learn to be patient with God’s timing, or we presume the answer is always ‘no’ to our prayer. In both cases we benefit. Either we accept God doesn’t want us to ‘have’ what we ask, or we’re not ready for it. Both require patience.

We can pray a thousand times and God could still say, “Not Yet.” For me, it ultimately comes down to His invitation to the Cross. “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me.” (Mark 8.34)

Learning patience is learning how to deny ourselves. Only then can we be ready to take up our cross and follow Christ into heaven. We have a lot of work to accomplish here on earth to be ‘prepared’ for heaven.

Let’s take a moment and get to it. The most productive Christian isn’t the one who gets it all figured out in one moment. Sure, our eyes can be opened by God to immediately realize our weaknesses, but that isn’t the same as defeating our passions. That will take some time.

Be patient and wait for God’s blessings WHILE you pray, WHILE you fast, WHILE you serve others, WHILE you engage in the life of the Church. When God is ready, He will decide the next step, but not before. He knows the acceptable time. We do not.