I heard a really good quote the other day:
“If God makes you wait, be a waiter and serve.”
Boom.
Such a simple line, but there’s a lot packed into that little word nugget.
First off, let’s talk about God’s timing. We don’t know when our requests will be met — or if they will be met at all. People often say God answers all prayers, and most of us secretly hope that means yes.
But in my experience, God answers every prayer in one of three ways:
Yes. No. Or not now.
The idea of God telling us no can be unsettling. But generally speaking, our journey is rarely about getting our way. It’s about becoming who God intends us to be through the experience.
Sometimes the waiting itself is the work.
Now let’s talk about waiting.
When we’re waiting, we often think of it as wasted time — like we’re sitting in some spiritual holding pattern until life improves.
But maybe that’s not the point at all.
Maybe the question isn’t:
“When will my situation change?”
Maybe the better question is:
“How can I be useful right where I am?”
I once heard Jordan B. Peterson say something along the lines of:
Is the goal of life to be happy, or is the goal to live a life of purpose?
Happiness comes and goes. Purpose endures.
And strangely enough, the moments in my life when I’ve felt the most complete weren’t when I got what I wanted.
They were the moments when I thought about someone else and helped them.
When I step outside myself — even in a small way — something shifts.
The selfish gravity of my own worries loosens.
I remember something important:
The center of the universe is not me.
Helping others has a funny way of healing our own hearts. It’s almost as if God wired the system that way.
When we serve, we step into the current of something bigger than ourselves.
And often, the very thing we were waiting for starts to lose its grip on us.
Scripture
Galatians 6:9–10
“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people.”
Isaiah 40:31
“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.”
Notice something interesting.
The scripture doesn’t say sit while you wait.
It says wait on the Lord.
That phrase originally meant something closer to serving at the table.
Waiting on God was never meant to be passive.
It was meant to be active service.
A Few Takeaways
• Waiting is not wasted time.
It is often where God does His deepest work in us.
• Prayer isn’t always about changing our circumstances.
Sometimes it’s about changing us.
• Serving others shifts our focus from self-centered worry to God-centered purpose.
• The miracle of service is that the one who often receives the greatest blessing…
is the one doing the serving.
So if God has you in a season of waiting…
Be a waiter.
And serve.
Closing Prayer
Lord,
In the moments when life feels slow or uncertain, help us remember that waiting is not empty space. It is sacred ground where You are still working. Teach us to use our time well.
Not just looking for answers, but looking for ways to help others. Give us eyes to see those who need encouragement. Hands willing to serve. And hearts that trust Your timing.
When we feel restless, remind us that purpose is always within reach — in kindness, in generosity, in service.
And in serving others, may we discover that You were present all along.
Amen.
