Waiting Patiently
There is no doubt that I will be stepping in it here by broaching this subject, for no sane husband would use this as a devotional topic. But the point is worth making because of what it helps remind us of, especially amidst this advent season. Be sure that my wife and I have talked about all of this before. So with that disclaimer disclaimed...
I have been married almost ten years now and I am pretty sure that I have spent close to a year of our marriage waiting. Waiting on my wife.
Actually, I am convinced that this is large part of what marriage is about. In fact, we should add this to the wedding vows couples share with each other on their wedding day. We should add something such as, " To have and to hold, through sickness and health, waiting at home and in public, till death do you part."
Sitting here writing this blog, it would be easy for me to say, "That I don't mind waiting, it's just part of the gig." But the reality is that I am not very good at it. Waiting Patiently does not come naturally. Mostly because I struggle with selfishness. I want to leave now. I want to be done shopping now. I want you to come help me with this now.
I really do try, but that seems to make it worse some times. It gets especially bad when I have been patient for a while, because then I have a sense of righteousness which grows from my obvious understanding and patience. This makes waiting even more grievous because of how patient I had been up to that point. Sound familiar?
I love my wife and I know she loves me. I know that it is my calling from God to be patient in waiting for her, to live for her and to serve her. And so I continue to try. I try to remember what my calling is and how I truly do desire to live, but to be honest it is a struggle day in and day out against my own selfishness and sinfulness.
I bring all of this up, because I think it helps remind us of what we are doing here in God's world as we wait and I think we could write this same thing about our Lord.
I love Jesus and I know He loves me. I know that it is my calling from Christ to be patient in waiting for him, to live for him and to serve him. And so I continue to try. I try to remember what my calling is and how I truly do desire to live, but to be honest it is a struggle day in and day out against my own selfishness and sinfulness.
It's hard to be patient as we wait for what the Lord has promised us, which is to return and end sin's reign in this world.. It's hard because the struggle as Christians never lets up. Pastor Jerry tonight in his sermon described this struggle against sin as trying to exterminate it only to have it come back twice as bad. One step forward, two steps back if you will. What struck me about this, is who said it. Pastor Jerry has been a pastor for a long while now, yet after all these years of preaching his message was the same as the one I am sharing with you now. It must be a pretty big deal.
Our struggle is nothing new, rather its as old as the fall. And yet our Lord's call is the same, "Wait Patiently because I am coming soon." And so we try and we trust and we pray, "Come Lord Jesus, Come."
Amen.
