God’s Timing, Our Culture and Stress

When I moved to Costa Rica, it was a wonderful adventure in many ways. The joy of discovery as I learned the intricacies of a different culture brought its own delights. However with this experience also came frustration. My greatest frustration was this; the Costa Rican people seemed to have little regard for the importance of timing.  If you invited them over for lunch at noon, they might arrive at 2:00 or 3:00 with no apologies. This was not considered discourteous, it was expected. Such behavior was way out of the context of my understanding. Being raised in our fast-paced culture where one apologizes for being even a few minutes late, I had little appreciation for their lack of understanding concerning the importance of promptness and timing.

So why does it surprise me that I have such impatience when it comes to trusting God and his timing?  We are trained to expect things to happen promptly and with swift results. So the idea of waiting patiently seems counter to everything we are taught about success and efficiency.

"The sad truth is, if you push hard enough and if you’re so stubborn that you must have things your way, God will sometimes allow you to undertake a project without His blessing or at the wrong time. The problem with that, of course, is when you start something new in your own strength and your own timing, you’re going to have to finish it and maintain it in your own strength. When you let God start something, He’ll finish it for you.

When we try to force doors open and make things happen in our own strength, the end result is a constant strain on us and a drain on our resources. Life becomes a constant struggle. Nearly all joy, peace and victory dwindle from your existence. That is not a place of contentment and satisfaction."  Joel Osteen, Your Best Life Now

Could it be that much of our own angst in life is not because we lack understanding of God’s heart, but rather we lack understanding of His timing?

Liz Swanson, Leadership Community Director for Recovery Ministries/Director of Women of Impact

Comments

[Scott Bills]

Great reminder. Just spent 3 days in as close as a cross-cultural experience as Michigan can offer on Mackinac Island. No cars... forgot the phone recharger... no schedules... and a quiet place. I could almost feel my heart rate adjusting. Too bad its so hard to find those nooks and crannys in our daily existence that could allow us to go to "pause" more often.