On Your Marks, Get Set, Wait
The part of a race that has the potential to make or break a contestants' success is not necessarily the finish line, it is on the firing of the starting pistol. A distraction, nervous energy, the person next to you flinching, I have seen it happen even at the Olymic level! In any race there is a penalty for a false start. A consequence for beginning the race on your timing, before the BANG of the starter pistol. The worst penalty is disqualification. Imagine all the years of training, sacrifice and dedication and losing before you even had the opportunity to compete. There will be other races, but this one was important to run well.
Choosing to start a race on your timing is detrimental to your success in the race. And in the race of life we have a God who has perfect timing for us. Time to start a new job, have a baby, quit a friendship, give your money, sacrifice your afternoon for a friend. God's timing is not our own. He often holds the starting pistol on an area of our lives and watches for the proper time to let us begin.
If it were up to us we would find the job we need, the house we want, the quiet time we have earned, and the children we desire the minute we decided it was good for us. You know what, it can be frustrating when waiting on that line, listening to the Spirit's starter pistol to signal our start. We often have false starts and feel his hand drawing us back. Or a false start that lands us in a puddle of consequences we need help getting through.
But what I have found is our loving Father God is THE BEST at deciding "When" and determining our "Now." And because he loves us so much, in the waiting at the starting line we learn a valuable thing about His character and ours.
We learn that with His Spirit in us we can live above the desires in our hearts that may not be His desires for this moment. We also learn the waiting is a peaceful place to be. We don't have to fret, we don't have to stress, or be anxious. If we have done our preparation and have been faithful along the way, I can rest on the starting line in the center of His Will. And when you think about it we do not know the future looks like rest assured God does.
There are several situations that I can look back and see how much God was at work, even when I was resisting His desires for me and my family. Because of my strengths and weaknesses, I often do a lot of looking ahead while waiting for the "Now."
In my waiting moments, I find this scripture to be encouraging (although wordy) and today's "Good Thought:"
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:3-8
Choosing to start a race on your timing is detrimental to your success in the race. And in the race of life we have a God who has perfect timing for us. Time to start a new job, have a baby, quit a friendship, give your money, sacrifice your afternoon for a friend. God's timing is not our own. He often holds the starting pistol on an area of our lives and watches for the proper time to let us begin.
If it were up to us we would find the job we need, the house we want, the quiet time we have earned, and the children we desire the minute we decided it was good for us. You know what, it can be frustrating when waiting on that line, listening to the Spirit's starter pistol to signal our start. We often have false starts and feel his hand drawing us back. Or a false start that lands us in a puddle of consequences we need help getting through.
But what I have found is our loving Father God is THE BEST at deciding "When" and determining our "Now." And because he loves us so much, in the waiting at the starting line we learn a valuable thing about His character and ours.
We learn that with His Spirit in us we can live above the desires in our hearts that may not be His desires for this moment. We also learn the waiting is a peaceful place to be. We don't have to fret, we don't have to stress, or be anxious. If we have done our preparation and have been faithful along the way, I can rest on the starting line in the center of His Will. And when you think about it we do not know the future looks like rest assured God does.
There are several situations that I can look back and see how much God was at work, even when I was resisting His desires for me and my family. Because of my strengths and weaknesses, I often do a lot of looking ahead while waiting for the "Now."
In my waiting moments, I find this scripture to be encouraging (although wordy) and today's "Good Thought:"
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:3-8
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