Childlike Faith in Seasons of Waiting
There’s a kind of childlike faith that trusts what his father is doing even when he doesn’t understand. At the same time, there’s a kind of childish faith that doubts what his father is doing because he presumes to know what’s best.
I am sad to admit that sometimes my faith is more childish than childlike, particularly in seasons of waiting.
When I’m asking questions that start with Why? or How long?, often I’m doing so as if I have a solution I’m waiting for God to implement instead of asking these questions, knowing I have a Savior who is working in ways I cannot see.
How do we cultivate a childlike faith in seasons of waiting? Here are five brief but significant reminders specifically flowing from God’s Word in Romans 8.
REMEMBER THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING
In Romans 8:20, Paul writes how God subjected creation to futility “in hope.”
In other words, we can be confident that even on hard days, God is working toward good ends. In fact, Romans 8:28 says God is working like this in “all things.”
Do you know what the Greek word for “all things” means in that verse? It means “all things.” God is sovereign over everyone and everything, which means we can be confident that God ultimately has a good purpose in everything for everyone who trusts in him.
REMEMBER THAT GOD LOVES YOU MORE THAN YOU KNOW
“Predestined” is a word that causes a lot of confusion and even controversy among Christians. But what a beautiful word this is and what stunning truth it communicates: that God purposes to adopt us as his children before he even spoke the world into being.
If he has loved you from eternity past, surely you can trust that he loves you in the present. When we’re waiting, let’s never lose sight of the wonder that God is for us.
REMEMBER THAT GOD LOVES OTHERS MORE THAN YOU DO
Especially when we’re waiting (and longing!) to see God’s grace in someone else’s life whom we love, it’s good to remember that God doesn’t just love us. He loves them.
If we’re not careful, we can start to convince ourselves that we love others more than God does, as if we know better than God what is best for them. But we don’t.
Our love for others pales in comparison to the love of the One who formed them fearfully and wonderfully in his image. Whenever we think our love is greater than God’s, it’s good to pause and meditate on Romans 8:38–39.
REMEMBER THAT GOD IS THE GOAL
Often, we may start thinking that the goal is resolution of a certain circumstance or fulfillment of a certain dream. But circumstances and dreams in this world are not sufficient to satisfy our souls.
Romans 8 reminds us, through powerful imagery of our adoption as sons and daughters of God, that the ultimate goal for which we live is full, final, complete, consummate redemption from sin, and reconciliation with God. And on that day when our faith turns to sight, we will not regret waiting on him.
REMEMBER THAT GOD IS AT WORK
Romans 8 is filled with ways that God is working by his Spirit in our lives, helping us in every way we need and interceding for us in every moment we face. And as we’ve already seen, he’s doing that as he’s working everything together for our good.
As we wait and wonder why and for how long, let’s pray with faith in who God is, what God is doing, what God can do, and what God will do.
I sincerely can’t imagine waiting without these truths from Romans 8 (and all over Scripture). Let’s hold on to them with childlike faith as we wait. And let’s give our lives to making these truths known in a world where billions of people are waiting to hear them.
This article first appeared in The Commission, Radical’s biweekly newsletter featuring global gospel stories and encouragement from David Platt and others to help you follow Jesus and make him known. Subscribe today.
