Embracing Patience: Trusting God's Timing in Life

Life is a series of decisions—tens of thousands each day, most trivial, but some with the power to shape our lives for years to come. Yet, none of us make these choices in a vacuum. There is always an “inner governing condition” at work, often hidden from our awareness, that colors our judgment. One of the most powerful and dangerous of these is impatience. Impatience is more than just frustration or restlessness; it is a subtle force that can push us to act rashly, to step outside of God’s boundaries, and to try to force outcomes that only God can bring about in His time.

The story of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 16 is a vivid illustration of this. God had promised them descendants as numerous as the stars, yet after years of waiting, Sarah remained barren. In their impatience, they took matters into their own hands, involving Hagar in a plan that brought pain and division rather than fulfillment. Their story is a mirror for us: how often do we, convinced that what we desire is good and even godly, grow weary of waiting and begin to scheme, to push, to compromise?

Waiting on God is hard because we are creatures bound by time, haunted by the brevity and uncertainty of life. Our fear of missing out, of running out of time, can drive us to make decisions that are more about alleviating discomfort than about trusting God’s wisdom. Yet, God’s perspective is so much higher and broader than ours. What feels like an eternity to us is but a moment to Him. His timing is always strategic, always purposeful, and often beyond our understanding.

But waiting is not wasted time. It is in the waiting that God shapes our character, teaching us patience, humility, and trust. The development of patience is not instantaneous; it is forged in the crucible of delay and discomfort. As we wait, we are invited to focus not on the object of our desire, but on God Himself—His promises, His faithfulness, His word. In doing so, we discover that the best life is not found in chasing after our own happiness, but in centering our lives on Christ and His purposes.

God’s delays are not denials. Sometimes, He is preparing something far greater than we could imagine, both for us and through us. The challenge is to resist the urge to force outcomes, to trust that God’s ways and timing are better than our own, and to let the waiting room become a place of transformation rather than frustration.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Impatience is a powerful inner condition that can distort our decision-making, leading us to act outside of God’s will and timing. Recognizing impatience within ourselves is the first step toward making wiser, more godly choices. We must be honest about how often our haste is driven by discomfort rather than discernment. [02:09]
• 2. God’s timing operates on a scale vastly different from our own. What feels like endless waiting to us is but a brief moment to Him. Embracing an eternal perspective frees us from the tyranny of time and the fear of missing out, allowing us to make decisions rooted in trust rather than anxiety. [12:31]
• 3. The waiting room is not a place of inactivity, but of spiritual development. Patience is not granted in an instant; it is cultivated through circumstances that force us to slow down and depend on God. In the process, we are shaped into people who reflect Christ’s character more deeply. [32:30]
• 4. While we wait, it is crucial not to compromise God-given boundaries or take shortcuts that violate His will. The temptation to “help God out” often leads to unnecessary pain for ourselves and others. Instead, we are called to trust that God’s methods and timing, though mysterious, are always for our ultimate good. [29:39]
• 5. Focusing on God—His promises, His word, and His character—rather than on the object of our desire, transforms the waiting process. When we center our lives on Christ and submit our understanding to Him, we find the confidence and peace to wait well, knowing that God’s plans for us are bigger and better than anything we could orchestrate ourselves. [34:53]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:10] - The Power of Impatience in Decision-Making
• [04:30] - Abraham and Sarah’s Dilemma
• [07:45] - Taking Matters into Our Own Hands
• [10:57] - Hagar’s Story and God’s Compassion
• [12:31] - The Challenge of Waiting on God
• [14:18] - Everyday Impatience and Its Impact
• [17:00] - The Fear of Death and the Tyranny of Time
• [21:30] - God’s Eternal Perspective
• [24:32] - God’s Strategic Timing and the Festivals
• [27:51] - Prophetic Fulfillment and God’s Plan
• [29:39] - Constructive Actions While Waiting
• [32:30] - How Waiting Develops Patience
• [34:53] - Focusing on God in the Waiting Room
• [39:21] - God’s Answers: Yes, No, or Wait
• [40:56] - The Blessings of Waiting on the Lord
• [43:08] - Final Encouragement and Prayer

Bible Reading

Genesis 16:1-6 (ESV) — > Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!” But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.

2 Peter 3:8 (ESV) — > But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

Proverbs 19:2 (ESV) — > Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.

Observation Questions

1. According to Genesis 16, what was the plan that Sarai and Abram came up with when God’s promise seemed delayed? What was the result of their decision?
2. In 2 Peter 3:8, how does Peter describe God’s relationship to time compared to ours?
3. What does Proverbs 19:2 warn about making decisions in haste?
4. In the sermon, what were some of the emotions or inner conditions that led Abraham and Sarah to act outside of God’s timing? ([02:09])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Sarai and Abram felt justified in taking matters into their own hands, even though God had already promised them a child? What does this reveal about human nature and our struggle with waiting? ([09:57])
2. The sermon mentions that impatience is more than just frustration—it’s a force that can push us to act outside of God’s boundaries. How does impatience distort our ability to discern God’s will? ([02:09])
3. How does having an “eternal perspective” (as described in 2 Peter 3:8 and the sermon) change the way we approach waiting and decision-making? ([12:31])
4. The story of Abraham and Sarah led to pain and division because of impatience. What are some modern examples where impatience can lead to similar outcomes in our lives or relationships? ([09:57])

Application Questions

1. The sermon asked everyone to rate themselves on a scale from patient to impatient. Where do you honestly see yourself on that scale, and how has impatience affected your decisions in the past? ([02:09])
2. Think of a time when you felt “haunted by the brevity and uncertainty of life” and made a decision mainly to relieve discomfort rather than to trust God’s wisdom. What was the outcome? ([12:31])
3. Are you currently waiting on God for something important? If so, what “creative ideas” or shortcuts have you been tempted to try to speed things up? How do you discern if these are within God’s will? ([09:57])
4. The sermon said, “Waiting is not wasted time. It is in the waiting that God shapes our character.” What is one way you can shift your focus from what you want to what God wants to teach you during this season of waiting? ([32:30])
5. The story of Abraham and Sarah shows the pain that comes from stepping outside God’s boundaries. Is there an area in your life where you are tempted to “help God out” by compromising? What would it look like to trust God’s timing instead? ([29:39])
6. The pastor mentioned that God’s delays are not denials, and sometimes He is preparing something far greater than we could imagine. How can you remind yourself of this truth when you feel anxious or frustrated about waiting? ([40:56])
7. The sermon encouraged us to focus on God’s promises, His word, and His character rather than the object of our desire. What is one practical step you can take this week to center your life more on Christ during a waiting season? ([34:53])