Friday Fight 193: Waiting in Line/Waiting to Align

Every Friday, when I wake and pray, God places something on my heart to help fight darkness beginning in our minds. Today is FF193.

When we hear the words "there is a line," what comes to mind? This phrase could mean multiple things, like waiting in line at the grocery store, ordering coffee, or perhaps waiting for a haircut. For most people, the value of what is desired will determine if that need is worth "wasting time" for. Let's look at types of lines, our attitudes towards them, and what this can teach us about our spiritual lives.

Waiting in Line/Waiting to Align:

Now that we have imagined a long line at the car wash or only two registers open at a busy grocery store, let's look at other examples. We see lines used to divide the road for our safety or define the area where we park. Some lines indicate where to safely cross a road or invisible lines that serve as boundaries for states or countries. What if we look at the lines that define our lives? What would we see? We may find that these lines contain or control us in a way God never designed. Most of the time, any line that makes us wait will typically bring thoughts of turning around or avoiding the line and wait time altogether.

So, what happens when God leads us to do something that conflicts with our understanding of His timetable or feels like waiting in line? Unfortunately, our mindset of 'lines always lead to waiting' can alter our obedience because we immediately become uncomfortable and inadvertently create a spiritual boundary. Psalm 27:14 says “wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” We must learn to have faith and dwell in the waiting, not avoid the checkout while questioning everything around us.

Lines may involve having to wait, but they also provide some order. Consider the line of people waiting in the ER and the chaos prevented in triaging each patient. Hopefully, in our waiting time, we will learn patience and release our controlling behavior of attaining an immediate response. When control gets the best of us, we challenge that order. It is not easy, and often, in remaining still, we think God has changed His mind about us or His promises. But this is not true.

We serve a God of order and timing. We should not negate that He knows what is best for us because we don't understand His timing. Jesus stepped into streets lined with filth to walk among us, knowing in His surrender, He would have to die. Can we live more like Jesus and become comfortable with being uncomfortable and trusting in God's timing for our lives? When God calls us to move in a way we cannot understand, to grow our faith, and to deepen our relationship, can we focus on being first in line in our surrender to His call?

As we establish our goals for 2025, please consider praying about the difference between waiting in line and waiting on the Lord's flawless timing. Staying still for God's perfect timing is not the same as waiting to be seen in a busy clinic during flu season. It is an active process of continual trust while seeking God's direction. Learning this is never a waste of time; it is the opposite; it's eternal. The most fulfilling plan we can allow to unfold in 2025 is not ours but God's as we align ourselves with His will by surrendering to His plan for our lives.

Pastor Shannon

New Life River Church