“The cost of waiting demands the payment of our self-sufficiency, and we pay in our acknowledgement of our inability to be enough.”- Ann Swindell
“You were ransomed form the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”- 1 Peter 1:8
As Ann Swindell concludes Chapter 3 of Still Waiting, she talks about the cost of waiting. That cost involves “the paring down of our illusion of self-sufficiency.” Because, in truth, waiting often means experiencing the cost of seeing our true selves – broken, weak, unable to fix our lives. It’s a high and painful cost. But to walk in step with Jesus we must pay that cost!
Furthermore, Ann stresses, this awareness of our own insufficiency is a gift. Of course, this awareness never feels like a gift. In the moment we realize our weakness, we feel pain. Yet, when we truly come to terms with our own weakness, we encounter Jesus. Ms. Swindell explains:
” . . . as we wait for God’s breakthrough in our lives, it will cost us a great deal. In fact waiting well — waiting rightly — will cost us all that we have. It will cost us our illusion of control . . . our self-sufficiency. It will mean coming to terms with our inability to make anything happen — and it will mean tossing ourselves at the feet of Jesus and asking him to do what we cannot. But there we will discover that the gift of waiting is that in the waiting — in what may even feel like languishing — we can encounter Jesus.”
Today’s question: What Bible verses help you submit the payment of your self-sufficiency? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Awareness of brokenness – a baseline reality”
