Waiting Isn't a Waste: The Surprising Comfort of Trusting God in the Uncertainties of Life

by Mark Vroegop

Christians wait on God together. There’s something collective about waiting. Whether we realize it or not, we’re all waiting on God. At some level, every Christian is in the same position.

Throughout the New Testament, the biblical writers pick up this waiting theme as a motivator not only for patience but also for godliness. A biblical understanding of waiting creates an opportunity for collective spiritual growth.

Our Sunday morning gatherings could serve as weekly reminders that we’re still waiting. Imagine a call to worship framed around this theme. Or we could add silence into the order of worship to create an intentional moment of waiting. Weekly worship affirms that we’re still waiting together. As I’ve taught about waiting on God, I’ve been surprised how it not only resonates with my church, but how unusual it feels to people. It seems to me that we’ve made progress in preparing people for suffering and tragedy, but it doesn’t appear that we’ve spent enough time developing and teaching a theology of waiting. Counseling and discipleship could be leveraged as well. Helping people navigate uncertainty, expectations, and delays is a vital part of spiritual formation.

make your heart feel ill. A small but important step in caring for one another is the simple acknowledgment that waiting is hard—really hard.