“God has made everything beautiful in its time.” – Ecclesiastes 3:11
PATIENCE is a virtue reduced to a myth in this time when almost everything— from noodles to pictures-—can be done in an instant. While innovations in technology are undoubtedly useful and convenient in our fast-paced lifestyle, it can also fool us into believing there are shortcuts and quick fixes to everything.
Usually equated with wasting time, the idea of waiting for something has already acquired a negative connotation. But there are just some things in life which really takes time and cannot be rushed.
Unanswered prayers are worth waiting for. They test not just our patience but our faith in God as well. For someone who gets easily impatient and irritated with mundane things like waiting for a ride or one’s turn in long queues in fast-food establishments, waiting for something intangible from God is much more difficult.
More often than not, we get disheartened and impatient whenever we feel like we don’t receive any response from God. Although we very well know that God’s delays are never His denials, we cannot help but doubt His sincerity and plans for our lives.
But the worst reaction we can probably have is to succumb to our fear that God might not be true to his promises and that He is playing deaf to our pleas. As a result, we would cease to pray and nourish our bitterness unto Him.
Little do we know that in the process of being impatient, we’re also reflecting our shallow and superficial faith and confidence in God. We need to keep in mind that God answers our prayers not according to our own calendar but his own timetable.
Because of our “I-want-it-now” tendency, we sometimes forget that the wisdom of God is not something we can control and manipulate. He is not like a computer or any gadget that will respond to our commands in a jiffy.
More than any intelligent gadget, God doesn’t only give the best answers to our prayers, He also knows the perfect time and specific circumstances to grant our prayers.
Prayer: Lord, sometimes it is so easy to lose faith especially when we feel you are taking our prayers and pleas for granted. Forgive us for questioning your authority and wisdom to answer our prayers at the right time. Through your grace, may you grant us the patience to wait for your response and faith to trust in your will and plans for us. Amen. Kathleen T. Valle
