Today’s world is addicting us to speed—overnight deliveries, instant streaming, instant answers. Anything that makes us wait is totally unacceptable. In Real Faith Isn’t Based on Results, we touched on how impatient we’ve become, but let’s lean in a little closer. If a package doesn’t show up the next day, or if the Wi-Fi lags for thirty seconds, it feels like the end of the world. And when God doesn’t move on our timetable, we quickly assume He’s silent, distant, or He’s checked out.
But Scripture tells a different story. God often works slowly—on purpose. Abraham waited 25 years for his promised son, Isaac. Jacob worked 14 years to marry Rachel. The Israelites waited 400 years in Egypt before the Exodus, and then 40 years wandering in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land. Even Jesus spent 30 quiet years before stepping into public ministry. God doesn’t have His plans on a fast track. He is more concerned with who we’re becoming than how fast we’re moving.
And here’s what’s often left unsaid: slow doesn’t mean absent. It doesn’t mean God forgot you. It doesn’t mean you’re not praying hard enough. It means He’s preparing more blessings than you realize.
Scripture
“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
— James 1:4 (ESV)
James writes to believers facing trials, reminding them that perseverance is not punishment—it’s the pathway to maturity. The Greek word for perseverance (hypomonē) carries the sense of “steadfast endurance,” not passive waiting but active, patient trust. It’s holding on when you want to quit, standing firm when nothing changes, continuing faithfully even when it feels like God is taking the long way around.
What’s not often said is that perseverance isn’t automatic. Trials can make us bitter or better. Some grow hardened in waiting; others grow deeper. James reminds us that maturity doesn’t come by escaping hard seasons but by enduring them with faith, allowing God’s slow work to shape us.
Think about it: an oak tree doesn’t grow in a week. A diamond isn’t formed in a day. Deep, lasting strength requires time, pressure, and patience. God is not just delivering answers—He’s developing people.
Have you ever thought of waiting on God as worship? Waiting declares God is in control. Waiting demonstrates trust. Waiting is submitting to His will and not ours. Waiting creates space for God to work.
Application
Most of us want a quick rescue, but God wants lasting transformation. That’s why His work is often hidden and slow. He’s chiseling away pride, deepening trust, sharpening faith, and building resilience beneath the surface.
Take your own life. Maybe you’ve prayed for breakthrough in your marriage, your career, your battle with temptation, or your sense of purpose. And still… silence. Or maybe worse—setbacks. If you’re honest, it feels like God is moving slower than you can handle.
Here’s the truth: what looks like delay is often development. God is weaving together threads you can’t see. He’s protecting you from shortcuts that would ruin you. He’s forming Christ in you, and that takes time. Think of the disciples—three years walking with Jesus, and even after the resurrection, they were still confused and afraid until the Spirit came at Pentecost. God’s timetable is not a sprint but a marathon of grace.
What we don’t often admit is that waiting hurts. Men are wired to fix things—we see a problem, we want a solution, and we feel the weight of responsibility to make it happen. But Scripture tells us that it’s in the waiting that character is forged. God’s slow work is where roots push deeper, where endurance takes shape, and where faith is sharpened until it can stand the test of time.
Today’s Challenge: Be patient
Is there a reason you’re in God’s waiting room today? Is it a relationship? A prayer that hasn’t been answered? A job opportunity that hasn’t materialized? Spend a few moments and instead of asking God “What’s up,” ask, “Father, what are You trying to accomplish through me during this time?
That shift—from impatience to submission—can turn waiting into worship.
Then pray this:
“Lord, I confess that I want quick answers and instant fixes. But You are more interested in who I become than how fast I get there. Teach me to trust the slow work You are doing in me. Grow in me patience, endurance, and faith that lasts. Help me to see delay not as absence but as preparation. Keep me rooted in You until Your work in me is complete. Amen.”
Final Thought
In a culture obsessed with speed, men often feel like they’re late to the game—whether it’s career, marriage, finances, or spiritual maturity. This is not a weight you need to carry.
What’s missing in the conversation: the assurance that God’s plan will unfold at just the right time and in the best way. His pace is perfect, even if it looks “slow” compared to the world.
This week’s step: Leave your list of what you’ll do to speed things up, instead ask Him to give you the strength to wait at His feet. Jot down: “Lord, I trust Your pace more than my own plans” on a post-it and place it somewhere visible for the week.
Snag this print-friendly version for your next men’s breakfast or Bible study.
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