Have you ever wanted something so bad that you thought was good for you, and you’ve been praying about it for quite some time, yet it hasn’t come to fruition? Maybe it’s not a physical object or materialistic possession, but rather timing on something, a physical healing, becoming a momma, or some mental/emotional stress to die down. Or, maybe with everything going on in the world, you just want life to get back to “normal”. Either way, it can be tough to find joy in the waiting.
Personally, I know I’m not the most patient person. So, maybe this is one of the ways that God is teaching me patience and to rely on Him and His perfect timing.
So, just how do we find joy in the waiting? What does joy even look like or mean? Is it the same as happiness, or is joy something different?
In my own opinion, joy is different than happiness. I define happiness as something that’s temporary–something that comes and goes, dependent on circumstances. Joy, however, is something deeper. Joy goes beyond happiness and is a state of being, not dependent on circumstances. It’s founded on something deeper, and for me, that deeper is Christ. It doesn’t mean my life is easy–it simply means that I have a future hope in which my joy is rooted in (Hebrews 6:19; 11:1; Jeremiah 29:11).
Now, if you don’t already know this about me, I thoroughly enjoy helping people. So, I wanted to share with you all some tips for how I find joy in the waiting, in hopes that it will help you as well:
- Focus on having a heart of gratitude for what you do have and all that God has been doing in your life. A couple things you can proactively do for this include:
- Keeping a gratitude journal.
- Saying out loud 5 things you’re grateful for in the morning and 5 things you’re grateful for before going to bed.
- If you’re a social media person, share a photo of something you’re grateful for, and invite others to do the same.
- Don’t focus too much on the thing you’re waiting for. Instead, fill your mind with positive things.
- Listen to positive and encouraging music.
- Go for a walk, or simply get out in nature.
- PRAY about it, and invite others into your life to pray over it with you. And don’t just pray about the thing you’re waiting on; pray also that God would transform your heart to want what He wants for your life, even if it looks different than what you want in the moment. After all, He truly does know what’s best for us.
I hope you were able to find some encouragement in this, my friend. Know that joy truly can be found in the waiting, and the best is yet to come. Live in love and be loved!
xoxo,
miranda
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