Waiting on God | Waiting out of fear

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We put our trust in God.  We are told to have faith and believe. This can sound very simple when it comes to advice from someone else, but can seem very daunting if you are the one doing the waiting.

This article is the second in a 3 part series where we are going to talk about 3 ways we can deal with fear when waiting on God.

Let’s review the areas we plan to discuss.

1. When making a decision – Waiting on God to know what we should decide.
2. Waiting out of fear – Waiting to act when we are afraid. In other words, Waiting on God for the green light. 
3. Waiting on a need – When we find ourselves Waiting on God for a resolution or an answer to a prayer.

What I will share across all of these messages is that there is a common thread in each of these circumstances – God’s Will.  Let’s talk more about that later in the message.

In each of these messages, I’d also like to share a personal experience on what waiting on God looked like for me. 

In this article, we are going to talk a bit about how fear can affect our process of Waiting on God and what we can do to deal with that fear.

What does it look like to have fear interfere with Waiting on God? 

One example may be when there is an opportunity in front of you and you would like to Wait on God but you are afraid to move towards the opportunity and you are afraid to do nothing.  

Let’s pick an example.  Let’s say there is a new position opening at your job that you have been excited to apply for when the opportunity arises.  You may have even prayed to God to ask Him to show opportunities in your job that would lead to growth and increase.

So, now you have the opportunity right in front of you.  Isn’t this what you prayed for?

Why are you feeling petrified to act and apply for the role?  Are you afraid that if you apply you will be rejected? Are you afraid that even if you were offered the role that you would fail miserably and be fired before you know it?

How about another example.  

Let’s say you want to start a new business. The list of things you need to do is daunting.  You need a business plan, a loan, staff, and office space.  The list goes on and on.  You are faithful to lean on God to know His will for your life and you know He knows your heart’s desire.  Despite all of this, you are petrified to start the process of starting a business.  What if you fail? What if you were wrong about the business opportunity?  What if you have to lay off employees and file for bankruptcy?  

In both of these examples, fear can truly stop us in our tracks from walking in step with God.  Walking in faith, trusting that He will lead and guide our steps.  

The inner critic in us can be quite chatty when it comes to reminding us that we may fail or that something bad might happen. So we may find ourselves -waiting- for a sign -before- we try, -before- we move, -before- we walk forward trusting in God.

The inner critic in us can be quite chatty when it comes to reminding us that we may fail or that something bad might happen. So we may find ourselves -waiting- for a sign -before- we try, -before- we move, -before- we walk forward trusting in God.

It would be so much easier if God would send us a note that says ‘You will be successful – I’ve got you’, or ‘The loan will be approved’ or ‘You will be offered the job role and you will never be fired’.  It seems it would be so much easier if God would give us the assurance that our concerns and our fears are unnecessary because everything is going to go the way –we- want.

So, we know the situation – but what can we do when it comes to waiting on God out of fear?

I’d like to give you an example from my walk with God and be a little bit vulnerable.

I am one of those people that you could say is “Not a good flier”.  I detest flying.  I don’t like heights and I don’t like the idea of hurling hundreds of miles per hour 30,000 feet above the ground and I have absolutely no control whatsoever.  Yes, I know that flying is one of the most safest modes of travel.  Blah, blah, blah.. That may be so, but it is still something that is -not- a good experience for me.  If it was up to me I would drive everywhere I go – even though I know statistically driving accidents are exponentially more frequent than airplane accidents.  I get it. Whatever.

So back to waiting on God.  Every so often I know I HAVE to get on a flight.  I admit, I would love to wait for God to tell me – ‘This flight, this one right here is going to be safe’.  Book this one and you need not worry.   Obviously this is not how it works.

So let’s discuss a few ways we can deal with fear as it pertains to waiting on God.

#1 Seeking Guidance in Scripture

Much as we saw in our last article about making a decision, scripture also includes numerous references to God instructing us to not be afraid.  Here are a couple:

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified or dismayed (intimidated), for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 

— Joshua 1:9 AMP Bible

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“Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you;  I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].”

— Isaiah 41:10 AMP Bible

These are 2 of many, many examples where God explains we need not fear

Let us have a look at scripture which illustrates how we to can be in a posture of trusting God

When I am afraid, I will put my trust and faith in You.  In God, whose word I praise;  In God I have put my trust; I shall not fear. What can mere man do to me?  

— Psalm 56:3-4 AMP Bible

The Word of God will guide us and instruct us in all things.  Let us turn to scripture when in need, when in fear –  to learn of God’s promise to be with us, to strengthen us, to watch over us in times of need.

#2 Walk forward, trusting and knowing that God is with you

God makes it very clear to us that we need not fear.  

If we place our trust in Him, then we do not need a greenlight to walk forward.  We don’t need a note or a text message before we act.

Of course, we use our common sense and judgment.  We exercise discernment before acting on a goal or opportunity.  We weigh all the factors and pros and cons.  I am not saying that we do not use reasoning and consideration and wisdom.

I -am- saying that at a certain point when there are factors and potential outcomes outside of our view, outside of our control – we can choose to be still or we can choose to walk forward in faith.

We will not know God’s will for us before we walk forward, but if we trust in God and ASK God to move with us, to guide our steps, to steer us left and right as we walk, He will.  

If we are moving in faith and asking God to order our steps, we can trust that whatever the outcome, His will is revealed.

What does that mean? Maybe the job opportunity that opened up seems right, but God knows that it is not right so he orchestrates things in such a way that you do -not- get the job or, He places on your heart a level of wisdom that you discern on your own the job is not right for you.

If we are moving in faith and asking God to order our steps, we can trust that whatever the outcome, His will is revealed.

On the other hand, He very well may be orchestrating a blessing for you.  Your blessing is manifested in you moving forward in faith. Your trusting Him as you apply for the role instead of waiting will show Him your faithfulness in Him and trusting His will. 

As for me and that flight I have to take? Rather than postponing the flight or coming up with an excuse to avoid the flight, I must ask God to simply order my steps.  I must ask Him to keep my journey safe and allow me (and others on the flight) to arrive at our destinations safely – if that is His will.  I will walk forward knowing that rather than obsessing on all the fears that I have, I will obsess on the fact that God is with me at every nano second from the moment I leave my home until the moment I arrive at my destination. 

Will it feel warm and fuzzy when we move forward in faith? Maybe not 100%, but knowing God is with us can in and of itself provide us with comfort that whatever happens, we have not been abandoned by our heavenly Father.

#3 Seek to do God’s Will

As I mentioned earlier in the article, there will be common threads to waiting on God that I will share in this series.  One of them is that God’s will is paramount.  

In times of fear, moving forward with a posture towards God that His will be done gives us the assurance that whatever happens when we move forward, it is aligned with His plans first and foremost and not with our own.

Back to the job opening.  

If the job application is declined, let us be reassured in knowing that God knows more than we do about the situation.  Perhaps if we did get the job, it may have appeared to be wonderful in the beginning but would have not been in our best interest down the line.  Perhaps it would have even taken us off track from God’s plan for us.

If the job application is approved, at the very least we can know that the new opportunity is in alignment with God’s plan for us at this point in time.  Does it guarantee we will have the job 1 month, 1 year, 5 years down the line? Nope. What it does guarantee is that as of -this- moment, we know we are in alignment with God even if the opportunity is temporary in the scheme of things, in His plan for you.  Stay in His presence and in His will and God will cover you and provide for you.

At the end of the day, God’s will is the most important thing we should keep in our hearts to know that He will lead and guide us to not only what is best for us but even what our heart truly desires.

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In this article I shared 3 ways we can approach our fears when we find ourselves waiting on God.

In the next and final installment in this series, we will talk about how to wait on God when there is a need.  When we feel we really need something to happen and we are waiting on God.

Please remember that you are never alone when you trust in God. God’s promise to you is that He is with you and will watch over you in any and all circumstances.  While you may experience challenges and pain, you need not fear that you are alone when you put your trust and faith in Him.