Waiting vs. Wasting
We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. Psalm 33: 20-22
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16
Have you ever felt lazy? We are approaching the “lazy, hazy, days of summer,” which might make us question, “When is it ok to waste time?” We also might have “to-do lists” that are several pages long, causing not only ourselves but also those we love to feel pressured into achieving versus receiving. In these situations, we might ask ourselves, “When am I forcing my own agenda of things that I believe must be done now versus waiting on the Lord for God’s timing?”
The Bible says we should both wait on the Lord and make the most of every opportunity. How do we do both? We begin by identifying when and why it is essential to wait on the Lord and then observing times when that waiting turns into wasting.
When we take action without waiting on the Lord, we can make rash decisions. These choices can have long-term implications. Rushing into quitting a job we have in hand or taking a job because it is available, without consulting God, might lead to financial demise or a toxic job situation. People rush into marriages, business deals, and moves across the country to escape their current circumstances. In each of these situations, humans try to run from or to something that will result in their saving. But, they do not pause to ask their actual Savior whether God would have them do this.
Maybe we don’t think God cares about these decisions, but the Bible tells us otherwise. In Matthew 10:29-31, Jesus speaks to his disciples, saying that the sparrows sold cheaply in the market are not outside God’s care. God knows when one of them falls. In fact, says Jesus, even the hairs of your head are all numbered by God. So, God cares about the details and wants us to take the time to go to him with our concerns. We must wait on the Lord when we have big decisions because God cares about us.
But are there times when we say we are waiting on the Lord and that we are actually wasting time and failing to make the most of every opportunity? Absolutely! Here, we clearly distinguish between waiting and wasting, which lies in the definitions. Wasting means to become progressively weaker — “wasting away.” It also can mean to use without purpose or extravagantly—extravagant meaning without restraint. So, when we waste time, we do not use it with intention or view it as precious or important. Instead, we fill our time with things that make us progressively weaker, not stronger. When wasting time, we may be very active being inactive. Here are some ways we waste time:
We stream: Oh my goodness, can we fill our time with streaming? We get short and snappy with others because they interrupt our mindless streaming. What a waste of time, relationship, and opportunity.
We text/check email/engage social media: We trade voice-to-voice and in-person exchanges for written words and videos. Not only does this limit how much we can say, but it also limits our critical thinking as we trade small bites for meaty conversations.
We make excuses: There are a million reasons we can think of why we need a nap or we need to watch the next TedTalk more than we need to clean, apply for a job, or prepare for our next assignment. We may feel a sense of accomplishment and peace when our workspace is clean, but wasting time often takes precedence over accomplishing what needs to happen.
We are stuck: Sometimes, we do not take any action because we don’t know how to make something happen given our current circumstances. Ephesians 3:20 suggests that God can do way more than we can even imagine. So, we are wasting time and opportunity when we do not act because we do not know how it could ever happen.
We are not thriving: Thriving involves flourishing, which consists of development. When we waste our time, we do not develop who we are. We become weaker by not challenging ourselves to move forward.
Waiting, on the other hand, is more active than one might think at first glance. The Oxford Dictionary begins the definition of waiting with the word “action.” It reads, “…the action of staying where one is or delaying action until a particular time or until something else happens.” ·When we are waiting, particularly when we are waiting on the Lord, we are taking several actions.
We are listening: What is God telling us during this waiting period? What themes do we hear repeated? What is happening in our lives that we also hear through God’s word? God is constantly speaking to us. What is God saying?
We are watching: Where do we see God at work around us and inviting us to join? What is God doing in the world? As we read scripture, where do we see areas where we can be salt and light?
We are trusting: Scripture says, “…he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6, NIV). So, we know we have something to offer this world. We actively trust that God will show us what that is.
We are testing: Waiting also involves testing the waters. It means taking steps forward to gain a new perspective on your circumstances. It may mean filling out job applications, having difficult but essential conversations at your current workplace, or challenging relationships with productive conflict. We are testing whether this is the direction God wants us to go. We do not know the outcome of this testing, but we trust God will show us the way if this is God’s direction.
We are growing: For many people, failure is an excellent opportunity for growth. When we don’t put ourselves out there and try to get back into the game of life, we become stagnant. Stagnant means having no activity and often putting off an unpleasant smell or aroma. We are wasting our time when we say we are “waiting on the Lord” but do not act in ways that listen, watch, trust, and test God’s perfect plan.
Wasting and waiting are both actions; one requires purposeful engagement, while the other involves mindless consumption. They both fill times of transition in ways that influence outcomes. Will we mindlessly fill our time with mind numbing activities, or will we intentionally slow down to listen, watch, trust, test, and grow?
At Connections Church, we challenge each other to wait on the Lord while actively pursuing God’s calling. Come join us for worship Sundays at 9:30am.
Erin M. Reynolds, Ph.D.
linkedin.com/in/drerinmreynolds
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