A Difficult Discipline

There is, perhaps, no more difficult spiritual discipline than the discipline of waiting on God.  What makes it so difficult is not just the fact that we are bent more toward doing than being, but also the fact that it requires a familiarity with the silence and a willingness to experience emptiness.  Even as we cannot hear if we are talking, neither can we know what waiting is about if we live hurried lives and carry with us the sound of a hundred voices telling us what needs to be done.    

One of the impressive things about the disciplined life of Jesus is the way we see Him constantly drawing aside into the empty places for long periods of time.  Empty places are rare in our day.  The only thing more rare is an inner emptiness that invites the filling presence of the Holy Spirit.  There is a reason why the spiritual mentors point us to the need for things like sitting still, being comfortable, breathing deeply, and closing our eyes as we seek to enter into moments of quiet meditation.    

Waiting requires extreme effort.  It takes all our physical, mental, and emotional energies.  It is no surprise that we shun it in our personal walk with God.  When we take no time for the waiting, we miss out on so much.  God is One who seeks to lead us into the surprising parts of life.  He desires to softly speak life changing Words to those who want to hear.  When we wait, He is sure to come.  He may not come with sudden speed.  It may seem like He will never come.  So, it is with waiting.  The waiting is in the final analysis about living with faith in the God who is given the freedom to come, or even not come at all.