In a Hurry

You May be in a Hurry, but God is Not

You May Be in a Hurry, but God Is Not
By Rick Warren

“God ... does everything just right and on time, but people can never completely understand what he is doing” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NCV).

If you want to slow down your life, you’ve got to learn to trust God’s timing.

Do you know what impatience is? It’s a lack of trust. When you’re impatient, you’re saying, “God, I don’t really trust you. I don’t think you have my best interest at heart. You don’t know when I need it and I’m in a hurry.” You get worried and you get hurried and you start scurrying because you don’t trust God to do it at the right time and in the right way. You struggle and strive.

Is fast always better? Not always.

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “God ... does everything just right and on time, but people can never completely understand what he is doing” (NCV).

God has a plan for your life. You probably know that. But he also has a timetable for your life. Here’s the rub: God never explains his timetable. Doesn’t that just tick you off sometimes?

One of the most painful things in life is when you’re in a hurry and God’s not. When children grow up, part of maturing is having to learn the difference between “no” and “not yet.” A delay is not a denial. As a follower of Jesus Christ, you have to learn the same thing with God: A delay is not a denial. God knows the right time and the right way. He has a plan and a timetable. And his timing is perfect.

When Saddleback Church grew for 15 years without a building, this is the verse that God used to encourage me for all those years: “This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed” (Habakkuk 2:3 NLT, second edition).

That vision that God has given you that hasn’t happened yet, it’s coming. It’s coming on God’s timetable. In the meantime, trust God and slow down.