When to Stop Waiting on God
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Have you ever sought God for an answer or a sign so you could make a decision? We ask what move we should make, but we don’t want to take the next step without God’s blessing. But then, sometimes it seems like the Lord keeps us waiting forever when we’re just ready to make a choice… But what if He isn’t?
Don’t get me wrong, God keeps us waiting sometimes. But maybe what God desires most isn’t for us to sit and wait, but to walk with Him, putting our trust in the Lord with each step we take. But in order for us to do so, we need to know when to stop waiting on God and take the leap of faith.
What it Really Means to “Be Still”
When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, they froze in fear when before them was the Red Sea and behind them were angry Egyptians ready to enslave them once again. Moses encouraged them by saying,
Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. — Exodus 14:13-14
We often interpret this passage by saying when we face our own major decisions in life, not knowing which path to take, we should sit still and wait for God to tell us what to do next. But have you ever wondered if “waiting on God’s plan” is actually just a guise for our fear?
The Israelites felt stuck between the Red Sea and their enemies, so they cried out to God. And so often we feel stuck in the same position because as much as we don’t want to turn back, we also don’t want to take a step toward the unknown and watch God work on the way. So, we sit still and give our fear a holy name called “waiting on God.”
But then God throws us a curve ball in the very next verse, saying:
Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. — Exodus 14:15
Being still doesn’t mean we stop moving our feet or making decisions. No, being still was meant to encourage us to trust God, release our worries and doubts, and move forward with a stillness of heart, confident that He has His hand over our circumstances.
Bob Goff says it best in his best-selling book, Everybody Always,
People who want a reason to delay often wait for plans. People who are becoming love don’t. It’s almost as if Jesus knew we’d invent excuses under the guise of waiting for His “plan”… [but] I don’t think literally hearing something is what most of us are after. What we actually want is that extra nudge of confidence from God and the opportunity to move forward courageously to do those things we already know how to do. What a shame it would be if we were waiting for God to say something while He’s been waiting on us to do something. He speaks to me loudest on the way.
*(See the Amplified version of Exodus 14:13-14 for a more accurate translation of this verse & check out my post on How to Choose a Bible Translation to help you study the Word).
When to Stop Waiting & Start Moving
But what do we do when our options aren’t as black and white as bondage and freedom? What if each of our options is good, but we don’t know which to choose?
Several years ago, I was applying for an 11-month mission trip. It was a huge leap of faith, but I didn’t know which countries to go to, so I asked God to tell me. I desperately wanted to go to South America, not for any particular reason, I had just always been fascinated with it. But since my reasons didn’t seem “holy” enough and I didn’t want to make the wrong choice, I waited for God to tell me His plan… Instead, I got silence.
One day, the Lord finally spoke to my heart saying, “You already know where to go.” It was as if God was telling me to go where I wanted. Why? Because I was living my life to glorify Him and any choice I could have made fell within His will (Psalm 37:4).
I think sometimes we dress up God’s will to mean something more complicated than it really is. But simply put, the Lord’s will is for us to be reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ and to overflow His great love back unto Him and to others (Matt. 22:36-40).
If we are doing these things out of a pure and sincere heart, delighting in the Lord and His Word every step of the way, then we can move forward with that stillness of heart knowing God will speak to us loudest on the way.
Because the most important decision we can make is to walk with Christ. Everything else pales in comparison.
What Taking the Leap of Faith Does Not Mean
Knowing when to stop waiting and take the leap of faith does not mean living recklessly without reverence for God or His infallible Word. Walking in faith is not about testing God (Deut. 6:16-17, Matt. 4:-5-7) or adopting an “act now and ask for forgiveness later” mentality, expecting God to bless disobedience and sinful behavior.
The Apostle Paul speaks to this very thought in Romans 6,
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. — Romans 6:1-4
When we truly accept Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, our hearts are transformed. We no longer live for God’s love but from it. It’s as if we can’t contain the love and Truth and goodness He has placed in our hearts and it overflows into everything we do. That is someone who can walk with a stillness of heart.
When It Is Appropriate to Wait
Please hear me when I say, not all waiting stems from our fear. There are, of course, times when it is appropriate to wait on God.
For example, if our motives are in any way riddled with self-interest or selfish ambition, it’s important to be honest with ourselves and continue to wait upon the Lord so He can shape our prayers and mold our hearts to align with His (Jas. 3:13-4:10).
Other situations may require us to wait upon God, but in order for us to discern if that’s the case, it’s important we probe our hearts and ask the Lord to reveal if our own fear might be causing reservation.
Take the Leap of Faith
Does God have a plan? Of course, He does. But what if He’s less concerned about what we do for Him and more concerned about us being with Him? When we shift our focus to a relationship rather than religion, we get to enjoy the beautiful invitation to be intimate with the Father and overflow His love without even thinking about it.
So, if you find yourself trying to make a decision, but know your heart is set on the Lord, stop waiting and start moving where your heart desires. God speaks to us loudest on the way. If He really has something different in mind for your life, He’ll let you know. But otherwise, take the leap of faith and let your biggest decision be to honor God wherever you go.
