“Most godly solutions require waiting.”- Dr. Wayne Stiles
In Chapter 3 (“Satisfaction on Hold”) of Waiting on God, Dr. Wayne Stiles notes that the pangs we feel in life come from God’s original design. Along with that need, God also created what we require to satisfy that hunger. Furthermore, whatever the source of our hunger, each of those pangs also finds its solution in God’s design.
Given the choice, we desire God’s solution to our pangs, whether physical or emotional. However, waiting for godly solutions becomes problematic for us- especially during long gaps of delayed gratification. Dr. Stiles adds:
“Let’s face it. One of the biggest tugs of temptation comes from its immediacy. . . . But a funny thing happens after we sacrifice our integrity on the altar of impatience and convenience. Instead of satisfying our God-given pangs, temptation’s quick fixes only intensify the cravings.”
We find ourselves running in circles as we desperately seek to alleviate our pain through pursuing the very thing that caused it. In addition, when God takes away something we need or even enjoy, we feel duped. The Lord’s precious generosity, in the context of our current adversity, may be interpreted as cruelty. Rather than praising God for our past time of blessing, we experience growing resentment over His sovereign prerogative to confiscate those blessings.
Dr. Stiles explains what our raw emotions reveal about our hearts when the Lord takes away something wonderful:
“When the Lord gives and then takes away, we can betray an inordinate affections for the gift rather than the Giver. Our reaction after the removal could reveal that we view God as One who merely dispenses blessings rather than One who has as his primary concern our holiness and spiritual growth.”
Today’s question: Describe your experience waiting for godly solutions. Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Addicted to blessings”