“Wait” Is A Verb

Insight 91 | Did you know that? I had never really thought of it, but when I did, it seemed counterintuitive.

Generally speaking, most of us conjure mental images of “waiting” that, in some form or another, connect to ideas of lingering, standing around, and twiddling one's thumbs; pictures that all communicate the passage or movement of time while we, instead, stay stuck in place.

Our understanding of “waiting” has morphed into equating to doing nothing while someone else does something. Even the dictionary has leaned into this definition.→

Although the lexicon is correct about the word being a verb (an action), I strongly believe its interpretation is wrong.

Waiting, in its Biblical sense, is an expectant, functional, and faithful posture, not a passive inactivity. It's both an important undertaking in itself and also the soil that nourishes countless other pursuits when applied correctly. It’s something that needs to be experienced and that, in turn, frees you to experiment, try something new, and equip yourself to become the person you aim to be by the end of the process. Stay with me for a moment.

This realization, in combination with insights gained from Isaiah 40:31, led me to the three lessons we’re going to unpack today:

1. It Needs To Be Done.

2. What You Do in The Waiting Is Just as Important as The Waiting Itself.

3. An Invitation To Hope.

Our conception of this process has been misconstrued for far too long, but after today, you will have a proper perspective that provides you with a clear understanding of why we are called to do this and just how powerful it can be when done correctly.

1) It Needs To Be Done. We fail to realize that living is about “going somewhere” rather than actually “being there”. We often spend more in the journey than at the destination itself, but kill ourselves over getting there and miss the views along the way.

Think about it. Four years of school for a 30-Second walk across the stage. Planning a trip for weeks, if not months, for a trip that lasts only a few days. Hours on end spent deciding on the perfect gift, only for it to be opened in under ten seconds. 

Does this reality make the process or the result any less important? No. But it does provide a fascinating insight: The waiting needs doing. It's a law of life, no shortcuts.

This should lead us to a mindset shift. Because a lot of life is spent on the journey, it makes more sense to make the most of it. If the journey is 80 percent of the process, and the destination is 20 percent. Then, mathematically speaking, you will have a greater impact by focusing more on the process than on the destination.

2) What You Do in The Waiting Is Just as Important as The Waiting Itself. In Isaiah 40:31, we are reminded, “But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Although a widely popular verse that is often used on posters or wallpapers, its true meaning is often lost in translation; its message is much deeper than we have cared to consider.

Notice how the verse is constructed. It says, “shall.” Pay attention here, and count all the actions that take place in the midst of waiting: renew, mount, run, walk, and not faint! That's a lot of DOING if you ask me.

When I understood this, my entire life changed. The verse has always encouraged me that “everything will be ok,” but suddenly I realized that this same verse is also a handbook for approaching life amid the unknown. If you want to live a life with greater peace and better decisions, then it is also your responsibility to DO SOMETHING in that season.

You may be wondering what exactly that is, but that's a question only God can answer for you. The manual comes with general instructions, but the specifics are left to each of us, in accordance with our walk with God and the calling he has placed on our lives. That said, there are a few more details we can glean from this verse.

3) An Invitation To Hope. As I was turning this article over in my head and wrestling with this verse, I noticed a small detail I had missed hundreds of times before: in some translations, the word used is “wait,” while in many other popular versions, it is “trust.” This curiosity led me to discover that the original Hebrew word used here is qavah, but, as it turns out, that specific use is extremely rare, as Hebrew has numerous words for distinct versions of the idea of “waiting”.

The one used here, though, describes a process of expectation and anticipation. It’s an appeal to hope. All of a sudden, the other common translation of the word “hope” made much more sense. This verse is an invitation of participation from God to us, a space for relational interaction.

When we anticipate something, in this case God's fidelity and action, we naturally act differently as a result. It is now a well-established fact in psychology that belief affects behavior. That, fundamentally, our perception of the world shapes the reality we experience. This is why qavah is accompanied by actions: because our behavior changes when we expect God to deliver.

This word describes a hopeful attitude, one defined by joyful trust in God's goodness and in the fact that He has never failed and never will.

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When we die, if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our savior and professed his Lordship over our lives, then the first words we should be hoping to hear upon reaching the kingdom are “well done, good and faithful servant,” not “well waited.”

While on this side of heaven, we must faithfully do our part and let God do His. That may seem strange at first, but it's not when we realize God has structured this life so we can partake in the master plans He has designed. While He does not need us for His world, his hand is outstretched for us to accept it. 

• Our New Understanding of Waiting: Active participation in God's will, which results in actions that bring his Kingdom close, guided by the expectancy that he will always be faithful and good.

Waiting is not passive; it's very much a verb, as has been explained here today. It's more complex than that. It is a shift to our mindset and, as a result, in our behavior. This week, consider how you are using the seasons of waiting we have been given. And if you find you have been stuck in our old conception of inactive lingering, then apply today's understanding and choose to live differently because of the hope you have for what is to come.

- Making The Most Of Being Curious

Daniel J. Cuesta

Sources:

It Needs To Be Done.  Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! - Psalm 27:14

What You Do IN The Waiting Is Just As Important As The Waiting Itself. 

So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. - James 2:17-18

An Invitation To Hope. . But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint - Isaiah 40:31

MIT News, How Expectation Influences Perception: Link

The Bible Project, What Does Isaiah 40:31 (Wings Like Eagles Verse) Mean: Link