Waiting Isn’t Weakness: Finding Faith in the In-Between

Learning Patience When God Says “Wait”

Let’s be honest—show me someone who claims they’re good at waiting, and I’ll call their bluff. Whether it’s waiting in traffic, waiting for test results, or waiting for God to answer prayer, patience doesn’t come naturally to any of us. Some people handle it better than others, but true patience? That’s one of life’s hardest lessons.

Here’s the irony: praying for patience might be the most dangerous prayer you can offer. Why? Because God will faithfully provide circumstances that teach you to be patient. He doesn’t download patience into your heart—He builds it through the wait.

Where Are You Waiting Right Now?

At Lakeview Christian Church of Portage Lakes, we believe in being the change as Jesus has changed us through our “Just 3” practices: Study (to love and know God), Share (to know and love others), and Serve (love in action). Right now, many in our church family find themselves in seasons of waiting:

• Job-related waiting – Applications submitted, interviews completed, but no answer yet
• Family challenges – Prodigal children, broken relationships, unanswered questions
• Health concerns – Diagnoses given, treatments started, but healing hasn’t come

Sound familiar? You’re not alone. The disciples experienced this same tension after Jesus ascended to heaven. They had promises but not yet fulfillment. They knew something was coming but couldn’t see it yet.

Biblical Wisdom for the Waiting Season

Lamentations 3:25-26 offers profound truth for anyone struggling with patience: “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

Read that again: waiting isn’t weakness.

In our fast-paced, instant-gratification culture, waiting feels like failure. We equate speed with success and delays with divine disappointment. But Scripture teaches something radically different—that goodness is found in the waiting, that God is working even when we can’t see it.

The Difference Between Waiting and Trusting

There’s a significant difference between passively waiting and actively trusting. The disciples didn’t just sit around feeling discouraged. Acts 1:14 tells us they devoted themselves to prayer and stayed unified. They waited, yes—but they waited with purpose.

This is where faith transforms our perspective. Trusting God means:

• Not going with every emotional wind – Feelings change daily; God’s character doesn’t
• Refusing the up-and-down cycle – Anchoring in God’s promises instead of circumstances
• Staying steady in faith – Choosing belief even when sight is limited

Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

What God Does in the Waiting

The waiting isn’t wasted time. During those 40 days between Jesus’s ascension and Pentecost, something crucial was happening in the upper room. Hearts were being prepared. Unity was being forged. Dependence on God was deepening.

The same is true for you. When you’re in a season of waiting:

• God is developing character – Patience, endurance, and faith grow in the soil of uncertainty
• God is aligning circumstances – What looks like delay is often divine timing
• God is preparing you – The blessing you’re waiting for requires a version of you that’s still being formed

James 1:2-4 encourages us: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Practical Steps for Waiting Well

At Lakeview Christian Church, we encourage our community to practice these principles during seasons of waiting:

1. Study – Anchor yourself in God’s Word. Read stories of biblical figures who waited (Abraham, Joseph, David) and see how God proved faithful.
2. Share – Don’t isolate. Connect with others in small groups or Sunday school where you can be honest about your struggles.
3. Serve – Keep your hands busy with love in action. Ministry often provides perspective and reminds us that God is still moving.

The Promise for Those Who Wait

Lamentations promises that “the Lord is good to those who wait for him.” Not that waiting is easy, but that God meets us in it. His goodness isn’t dependent on quick answers—it’s woven through the entire journey.

So if you’re waiting today, take heart. You’re in good company with every believer who’s ever prayed “How long, Lord?” And remember: waiting quietly for the salvation of the Lord isn’t passive resignation—it’s active faith.