Understanding Impatience: Trusting God's Perfect Timing

Impatience is a timing issue that arises when we struggle to trust God's perfect schedule and seek to force outcomes according to our own desires. While God is continually shaping and transforming us, this process often unfolds more slowly than we would prefer, requiring us to develop patience, trust, and obedience as we wait for His purposes to be fulfilled in His time.

The Dangers of Acting Impatiently

God is shaping you – it might seem like a long slow job, however, what He has started He will complete if we remain committed to Him (Phil 1:6). What He wants to do in us is as important as what we believe He desires to do through us. “Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him and He will bring it to pass” (Ps 37:5). This divine work in our lives requires time and cannot be rushed without compromising the quality and depth of the transformation God intends.

When impatient we can act foolishly

Impatience caused King Saul to act outside God's will and he was from that time rejected from being King (1 Sam 13:8-14). Often it is the same with us; the pressure seemingly demands that we do something instead of trusting in God, standing still and seeing the Lord's solution (Ex 14:13; 2 Kgs 6:15-18). However, it is essential that we do what He has told us to do, wait for further instructions and don't move beyond God's direction. Satan wants us to overstep the mark, and help God along.

Abraham 'helped God out' and the consequences of fathering this son (Ishmael) continue to be a problem today with the descendants of the promised son Isaac resulting in the conflict between the Arab nations and the Jews. This tragic example demonstrates how taking matters into our own hands can have repercussions that ripple through generations, affecting countless lives long after our own decisions have been made.

Many courting couples today let their hormones over-ride their consciences and engage in premarital sex, not waiting until they are married. Although generally accepted by society, it is still contrary to God's approved way of sex only between a husband and wife (1 Cor 6:18; Heb 13:4). The consequences of acting on impulse in this area can include emotional damage, broken trust, and spiritual compromise that may take years to heal.

Biblical Examples of Patient Trust

Joseph's dreams took over 20 years to become reality, yet during this time he remained faithful to God, confident in the Word of the Lord to him. He received these dreams as a 17-year-old youth, and was 30 at the beginning of the 7 years of abundant crops. It was some time during the subsequent 7 years of famine that his family bowed down to him fulfilling the dream (Gen 37:2, 41:46). Despite betrayal, slavery, false accusations, and imprisonment, Joseph never abandoned his trust in God's timing and purposes.

Learn from the examples of others

After David had been anointed King, his men suggested he dispose of King Saul and hurry up the inevitable outcome of him taking the throne. His emphatic answer was 'No, let God work this out in His time. It's His plan, He is capable of bringing it to fruition' (1 Sam 16:1,13, 24:10, 26:9). These examples show we are not to take matters into our own hands, instead “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths” (Prov 3:5-6).

Controlling Impatience Through Faith

God uses delays to test our obedience, patience and trust in Him, with many things needing time to be accomplished. God moves slower than we impatient humans would like, yet His will shall be outworked in His time so don't despair – He has the complete perspective on the whole situation (Hab 2:3). What appears to us as unnecessary delay is often essential preparation, character development, or the alignment of circumstances that we cannot fully comprehend from our limited vantage point.

Impatience must be controlled

Patience is a fruit of the Spirit, so we conclude that it is not a tendency of natural man (Gal 5:22). Frustration, irritation and trying to force things to happen are manifestations of the flesh. We want things done now – if not sooner! It is our responsibility to seek God, pray, prepare and do all we can (within the boundaries) to bring about the desired outcome while leaving the timing to God, confident in His wisdom and sovereignty.

Reflection and Application:

Identify areas where you are tempted to rush ahead of God's timing and surrender these to Him in prayer.
Study biblical examples of those who waited patiently and those who acted impulsively, learning from both their successes and failures.
Ask God to develop the fruit of patience in your life, recognizing that this often comes through seasons of waiting
Focus on being faithful in the present moment rather than anxiously trying to control future outcomes.