Don't Waste Your Now
Now that M.L.A.M. has re-launched, the real work begins. Last week was a whirlwind of so many FANTASTIC things happening in my world. Celebrating a new year of life as well as birthing what has been many years in the making, I am still in awe of all that God has and is doing. In and between the celebrating, coupled with the growing demands of this new season God has transitioned me into, I have remained intentional about allowing the Holy Spirit to place me where I need to be to continue my spiritual growth and development. Doing so has brought with it many revelations. One that stands out, and that Holy Spirit has led me to share, is do not waste your now.
Most of us spend more time waiting on God to reveal and/or manifest things He’s promised us than we do anything else. My journey has taught me it is what you do in the waiting seasons that determines your capacity to handle the next season God is elevating you to. The fruit you allow the Holy Spirit to develop in your life during your waiting seasons are what prepare you for an enlarged territory. While praying, confessing, believing, and reading/studying the Bible are all essentials in your waiting seasons, developing the right mindset, disciplines, habits, stamina, and resolution are equally necessary to be well-positioned for God’s best in your next.
As someone who has experienced countless waiting seasons on my journey of walking with Christ, I have seen how God has transformed my thinking about their importance in my life. With this transformation came renewed thinking about how I am to wait and what I should be doing while I wait. Instead of complaining or worrying, I should be maximizing this time to draw closer to God through Christ by way of Holy Spirit to get clarity on His intended purpose for my waiting season. Instead of wasting time vicariously living life through the highlight reels of others on social media, I should be diligently working with Holy Spirit on the vision God has entrusted to me. Instead of seeking to momentarily satisfy my flesh, I should be intentional about killing my flesh daily and honing my ability to hear and be led by Holy Spirit, so I always know what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. There is no shortage of ‘instead of, I shoulds’ that we must be intentional about positively responding to in our waiting seasons. More specifically, it is important to know that our ‘instead of, I shoulds’ are subjectively based on where we are in life – good, bad, and ugly. What I ‘should do instead of’ may be different than what you ‘should do instead of’ per our mindsets, daily habits, flesh struggles, how far we are from where God is taking us, etc.
It took me years to grow in this area. I did not start out fully embracing the waiting seasons of my life. In fact, I resisted it profusely. In the earlier years of my walk with Christ, I recall doing everything I could so that I would not have to wait on God. I have attempted to work things out on my own only to dig myself into a deeper hole from which I needed God to rescue me. I have engaged in sinful activities to temporarily satisfy the discomfort of my flesh only to be left empty, ashamed, unfulfilled, and yet again, needing God’s forgiveness and restoration. I have wasted time complaining, worrying, and doing nothing, all of which only positioned me to go through more waiting seasons because I did not get the lessons God intended for me to get previously.
There comes a point, or at least there should come a point, when you get tired of getting the same results. It is the moment you decide that you must do something different. It was not until I experienced this moment that I made the decision to fully surrender to the Holy Spirit’s leading, guidance, and direction for my life. Doing so was painful for my flesh but productive for my spirit. It was naturally disruptive but spiritually settling. It seemed like it took forever but not long enough to learn all there is to learn. From the moment I made the decision to follow the Holy Spirit’s lead in this area, I began to see and unwrap the gift it was intended to be to me.
Some of the valuable lessons learned that have served me well in my next are:
Pressure develops fortitude – As uncomfortable as trials and tribulations are, they do produce for us a far greater weight of glory in our lives that is not realized until you are required to exercise it. Rom. 8:18 says it best, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (KJV) The truth is, there is no fruit development without tests and trials. It is part of this walk. Get used to it, embrace it, and purpose to get the most out of them.
Discipline in your daily routines develops the ability to function successfully – What you do daily determines your life course. Without discipline it is impossible to achieve anything significant in life. For some, they are more disciplined in looking at other people live their lives rather than creating their own. Which are you? In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul tells us that to obtain the incorruptible crown we must bring our flesh under subjection to the control of the Holy Spirit. One of His fruit is self-control. This means we must life a life of self-control daily to do great things for God. There is no way around it.
Clearing your life of the noise develops laser-sharp focus on what God assigned you to do – We live in a noisy and fallen world whose volume is amplified through all forms of media. Consuming too much of it can disrupt and/or cloud our view of who we are, the value of where God has us in a particular season, and where He’s taking us. Clearing your life of the noise develops laser-sharp focus on God’s will for your life which narrows what you entertain, how you spend your time, who you hangout with, and what you value; all of which ripen you to life the purpose-driven life Christ died for you to have on earth and in eternity. I talk more in-depth on this topic in my new book, How to Recognize God’s Voice in a Noisy and Fallen World, available for pre-order now.
Serving others develops your gifts – In my Bible teaching, Waiting on God, I talk about how we must be intentional about serving others when we are waiting on God to manifest His promises in our lives. Doing so gets you and your situation off your mind which positions you to receive so much more than you know. Serving others when you are going through a challenging season is not only a blessing to them but to you. It is in these times that God refines your gifts, talents, and abilities the most. As a diamond is beautifully crafted from the most pressure-filled activity, so are our gifts. There is something about giving when you need that perfects God’s character in you the most. It is the most selfless and effective place to operate from which gets God’s attention in incomprehensible ways.
As exciting as this new season is for me, it does demand an elevated state of my existence. I am grateful the Holy Spirit empowered me to yield myself to His process of developing His fruit in my life. It was the only way I would truly and fully be prepared for my next when it came. In my book, Where’s Your Fruit?, available for pre-order now, I provide detailed accounts of how God used these seasons, and more, to develop the Fruit of His Spirit in my life.
Now being on this side of my journey, I understand more vividly why allowing the Holy Spirit to develop me during my waiting seasons was so critical. It is because I needed it all to carry the mantle God assigned to me in this season and beyond. If you are in a waiting season right now, are you allowing Holy Spirit to develop His fruit in you or are you resistant? Are you making the most valuable use of your time, or do you find yourself wasting more time than not? What are you doing with your now? If you believe that God’s next season for your life requires an elevated version of yourself, are your preparing for it?
I want to encourage you to make the most of every season of your life. It may sound cliché, but it is true. It is all preparing you for where God is taking you. Surrender to it. Trust God through the process. And let my life be a testament that it is all worth it.
To get the full benefit of not wasting your now and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead, guide, and direct your life course, you must be born-again. If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, click here.