Your Waiting Season Isn't Wasted
There’s a version of faith that assumes relationship with God equates to success. If God is working, things should move forward quickly. Doors should open and results should be visible.
Yet the Bible pushes back on that idea. And to be honest, it pushes back just about everywhere. Unfortunately, it's a theme we often miss.
Consider this:
- Abraham was 75 years old when he was promised to have a child. He would wait another 25 years before that promised was realized.
- Moses was in "hiding" for 40 years before leading the Exodus.
- Joseph waited 13 years in prison.
- David waited 12-15 years to become king.
- Jesus waited 30 years before stepping into his ministry.
The list could go on, but I want to call attention to one story in particular...that of Paul.
After his dramatic encounter with Jesus, he doesn’t step into instant influence. Instead, Paul disappears. Scripture tells us he was sent home to Tarsus where he likely spent nearly a decade in obscurity. No spotlight or recognition. No clear sense of what was next. He wasn't writing Galatians or Ephesians or sending letters to the Corinthian church. There wasn't anything glamorous taking place.
And yet those years mattered.
Waiting seasons are rarely accidental. They are often deeply intentional. In the quiet, God forms what public moments cannot. One of the most significant lessons every great leader must learn is how to continue being faithful when obedience doesn't come with affirmation. No one is excited about learning how to persevere and be resilient, but I believe it's one of the most untalked about and unrecognized leadership traits God desires to develop in you.
For Paul, those hidden years likely included re-reading Scripture through the lens of Jesus, unlearning pride, forgiving enemies, and learning to trust God without validation. The missionary powerhouse we celebrate in Acts didn’t emerge overnight. He was shaped slowly and privately for 8-10 years!
Instead of asking, “When will this be over?” try asking, “Who is God forming me to become here?” Waiting doesn’t mean nothing is happening. Often, it means everything is.