Why Does God Make Us Wait?

Waiting for answers to prayers, a miracle, or any form of divine intervention can feel like punishment sometimes. Especially when there is a supposed timeline attached to your request, and the clock is ticking, and nothing is shifting.

Nothing stretches your faith and trust in God as much as when you have to wait on Him. In Proverbs 13:12, King Solomon, in his wisdom, says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” If waiting for what seems like a lifetime makes the heart sick, then why does God make us wait?

In my quest for answers, trusting that God reveals great and unsearchable things to us when we pray, I decided to seek counsel from the Holy Spirit, and I was led to Isaiah 40:31. It reads like this: But those who hope (wait) in the Lord shall renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they walk and not faint.

No matter how difficult waiting on God may appear to be, it is designed by God intentionally to build strength in us. But we also learn in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that in God’s faithfulness, He will not tempt us beyond what we can bear, and even at that, He always makes a way of escape, so that we are able to bear it.

So, waiting on God is designed to be a process of strength building in us by God. It is not a punishment; it is a training. When you wait on God, your ability to trust God to do for you that which you have prayed for, even when you are not seeing it happen, and the clock is ticking, is tested.

The kind of strength that Daniel had in him when he had to enter the lion’s den with an unshakable trust that God would save him is an example of what waiting on God builds in us. James 1:3-4 says, “Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

The reason why God is making us wait is that He has a mission to make us mature, complete, and not lacking anything. Google defines mature as “a state of full physical, emotional, or mental development, often associated with adulthood, responsibility, and wisdom.” I suppose this aligns with what the scripture is talking about in James 1:3-4.

This discovery is a big revelation to me, and it is also reassuring. To know the reason why God makes me wait, as a plan to develop me into maturity, tells of God’s great love for me.

Now that we understand the reason why God makes us wait, the next thing to think about is what we should be doing while we wait. And the first thing that comes to mind is that while we wait, we need to keep renewing our strength.

The waiting season is not the time to give up hope. It’s not a season to conclude within you that God has forsaken you or forgotten you. In Isaiah 41:13-16, we read of God reassuring us not to be afraid because He will help us. He will make us into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. The waiting season is the making season. You are not just waiting; God is making you into something far more valuable than you can make yourself into.

The result of God’s making is always very beautiful. It is those who have successfully waited on God who have the capacity to soar on wings like eagles. They are the ones who have built the capacity and strength to run and not be weary. They have persevered and developed in maturity and wisdom and can weather the storms of life without losing balance. They are complete and lack nothing. So, waiting on God may be hard at that moment, but it comes with great gain.

I have waited on God for many things in my life. I have prayed for one thing from God for more than 5 years before getting an answer. But in truth, my answer eventually came, when I least expected it, and in the dimension that I least expected.

There were times that I had prayed to God for things for days and months and years. I would pray for so long without a response, and when it looked like my faith was failing, I would start to praise Him. For me, praising God helps my trust in Him. I get reassured of His faithfulness when I praise above prayer. And He always comes through.

Waiting on God, even when you are tempted to doubt, is the strength of your trust in God. You are waiting on God because you trust Him, and guess what, God does not toy with your trust. Psalms 25:3 tells us that those who wait on God will not be put to shame.

Waiting on God; trusting God is an act of righteousness, and Psalms 37:25 assures us that the righteous are never forsaken. And the psalmist in Psalms 40:1 tells us that "he waited patiently on the Lord, and God turned to him and heard his cry." Waiting on the Lord is not there to last forever; when the training is over, the reward is earned.  

And the reward always far outweighs the training process. This waiting is like a seed sown that produces a harvest that exceeds what was sown. Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

There is another angle of waiting that I want to touch on as I conclude this blog. Sometimes, when we have to wait, it may be that God is preparing us for the answer to our prayers. But other times, it may be that He is preparing the answer for us.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that God has made everything beautiful in its time. In Habakkuk 2:3, He tells us that the vision is for an appointed time. If it tarries, we should wait for it because it will surely come. God will not give us a gift that will destroy us. The package of His gift for our lives must be deposited in us at the appropriate and fitting time.

I have been immensely encouraged as I write this blog, and I trust that it will bless you as much as it blessed me. As mentioned earlier, I have waited on God many times and for many reasons. I have developed a strong trust in Him because, despite the wait, He always comes through.

So, when I pray, and I don’t get an immediate answer, I am consoled by the fact that if He did it for me before, He’ll do it again, no matter how long it takes, and that has helped me address my anxiety when my prayers are not answered quickly enough.

But now, I have learned that God is building strength in me while I wait. I am ignorantly learning perseverance while I wait; I am growing in wisdom while I wait; I am maturing while I wait. So, I’ll encourage you not to grumble when God makes you wait, don’t lose faith when He makes you wait, don’t stop trusting when He makes you wait. He is building something in you that you cannot build in yourself. 

If this message stirred something in your heart, don’t stop here. Here are books that go deeper into these truths—offering clarity, encouragement, and practical faith for real-life seasons. Each one was written to strengthen you where you are and help you walk forward with confidence in God. Explore the books and take the next step in your faith journey today. Click on the button below for details.

                                                    

How Can a Christian Mother Avoid Burnout?

Strange as this may sound, mothers were not designed for burnout. This is a truth worth reflecting on. Let me start by saying that the assignment to raise the children belongs to the father, while the assignment to nurture the children belongs to the wife. And let me finish by saying the assignment to take care of a wife belongs to her husband. 

But the more interesting truth is that whichever way we choose to look at this, between God and the husband, a wife/mother is guided away from any form of burnout. This doesn't say that the wife sits idly in the home, but the tasks she takes on should be such that she does not experience any burnout.

What I have written above is the ideal way things should be, but I recognise that it may not be so for everyone, so let’s trust God to grant us insight into how a Christian mother can avoid burnout. The first scripture that comes to mind is Psalm 46:1, and it says, “God is our refuge and strength; A very present help in trouble.”

This scripture goes beyond you being in trouble, because trouble is subjective. What is simple for one person may be trouble for another, but I would like to see this as God being available for us whenever we need help. A mother experiencing burnout is one who needs help, and this scripture tells us outright where the help comes from.

Without overgeneralizing this issue, I want to try to break down some possible causes of burnout for Christian mothers and how we can address these causes based on the truth of the Bible.

I had mentioned earlier that the task of training a child belongs to the father, and a few stories in the Bible come to mind at this time. In Genesis 18:19, God revealed that he chose Abraham that he might direct his children and household to keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice. Note that God didn’t choose Sarah, but Abraham. That assignment to train and direct was for Abraham.

Also in Job chapter 1, it was Job who had the custom of purifying his children and not Job’s wife. 1 Timothy 3:4 says that for a man to be considered as a church overseer, he must be a man who rules over his household and have his children in submission with all reverence. So, to say that he must be a man who has trained his children well.

If training the children is a reason why a Christian mother would experience burnout, it is important to note that the primary person owning the assignment to train children is the father. As a suitable helper to her husband, she will have to help out, and most importantly, nurture and care for the children, but the father owns this task. And she should not experience burnout while assisting.

Another possible reason why a Christian mother will experience burnout is that a lot of the weight of the home is placed on her shoulders. She is the home builder as found in Proverbs 14:1. So, she is burnt out with taking care of the house, the children, her husband, and, in some cases, her career. 

At this point, I would like to restate that a husband's primary assignment is to love his wife unconditionally as himself and as Christ loves the church. While a wife is to build her home, her husband is to ensure that she is not overburdened doing so.

And then, Isaiah 40:31 tells us that those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. The first solution to avoiding burnout is to run to God and wait there till He does for you what you cannot do for yourself. Remember Philippians 4:13 tells us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

For every assignment and task that God has entrusted to you to do, He has made provision for you to carry on those tasks stress-free if you are not relying on your effort but on God’s strength. The strategy for engagement without burnout is hidden in God, and once you find Him and ask, you will find that strategy. God did not bless you to stress you.

As Christian mothers, there is no singular rule or code that applies to all by which we can avoid burnout. But God is mindful of the peculiarity of each situation, and he is available to solve each individual situation, case by case. The situation in each home is different, and so the solutions will be different, and those solutions are found in God.

For example, I am a mother of four, living with my children in a different country from where my husband lives and works. This is not the ideal situation, but my husband is the sole provider for the family, and the economy of the world today has made us find ourselves in this situation.

For many years in my marriage, I have had the children with me while my husband works elsewhere. That has laid on me the responsibility of not just nurturing my children but also training them. Remember, I told you that the training of a child belongs to the father.

But what God did for me was that He prevented me from working without lacking in provision. I did not choose that for myself, but God did. I do not have much, but my needs are met. So, I can focus on the home without having a burnout. And that is why I am encouraging mothers not to carry the weight on their own effort but to lay the burden at the feet of Jesus.

My children are a bit grown now, and now the Lord is giving me the freedom to do other things that will generate income and keep me busy. I have written six books now, and I have a platform where I share encouragements, such as I am doing now.

In conclusion, even though I would have loved to give Christian mothers a specific trick or strategy on how to avoid burnout, the truth remains that there is no singular technique that works across the board. But you have God, who has a specific strategy perfectly fit for your specific situation. Run to Him, and He will lead the way.

He loves you too much to see you crushed under the weight that is bigger than you. He does not want you to burn out. 

If this message stirred something in your heart, don’t stop here. Here are books that go deeper into these truths—offering clarity, encouragement, and practical faith for real-life seasons. Each one was written to strengthen you where you are and help you walk forward with confidence in God. Explore the books and take the next step in your faith journey today. Click on the button below for details.

                                                    

How Do I Know God’s Will for My Life?

Knowing God’s will for your life depends on the area of your life you need understanding in. But in this blog, we will talk about the area of your life that relates to work and prosperity.

The first thing you need to know with regard to God’s will for your life is found in Jeremiah 29:11, and it says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” So, without letting your mind wander too far, the first encouragement that is sure and true is that God’s plans for you contain prosperity, hope, and a good future.

But there are moments and seasons of your life that feel like a crossroad experience. There are times you feel lost within yourself, and you just aren’t sure the direction your life is taking or should take. Those moments when you are trying to figure out your purpose in life, the career path you should follow, the kind of business to venture into, and you really would love to know the mind of God for your life in this matter.

I can relate to this because I have been there a million times over. As a grown woman, a wife, and a mother of four, I have very little time for myself, and I often wonder if I have a dream for my life, let alone pursuing such a dream, whatever that may be. So, this topic is one that I can personally relate to.

One of the surest ways of knowing God’s will for your life is by asking Him. Jeremiah 29:12-13 says, “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” The first thing I am learning here is the need to be hungry for an answer. The posture of your heart when you seek God for answers says a lot about whether you get one or not.

Still on the issue of asking, Jeremiah 33:2-3 says, “This is what the Lord says, He who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is His name. ‘Call to me, and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’” With a heart hungry for answers and ready to receive, God is telling us to ask, and He will answer, and open up the mystery of who He has purposed us to be to us.

This is as straightforward as it can get, but there is a downside to it. How are we able to hear from God? What if what you are told by Him does not make sense? What if you cannot rationalise what you have heard?  

I think it is safe to say that if you have prayed and you have heard from God and you are convinced it is God speaking to you, then whatever you have heard, please pursue it and be diligent in it. But understand that God will not give you an assignment He has not equipped you for.

Exodus 31:1-6

Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all craftsmanship. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also, I have given skills to all craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you.

 From the scripture above, another convenient way to know God’s will for your life in terms of your life’s purpose is to be sensitive to your talents and abilities. What is it that God has given you skill, ability, and knowledge in? You know those things you are good at doing, and you excel in effortlessly; that is your purpose. That is God’s will for your life.

If you have been able to catch a glimpse of your special skill, ability, and knowledge, and you have prayed and have confirmed your purpose and direction with God, you need to understand that the prosperity that God promised may not manifest overnight. So, if you think you know your calling and things are not happening yet, please continue reading.

Proverbs 12:24 tells us that diligent hands rule. Diligence is not restricted to just working hard but working hard persistently. What this scripture is saying is that you need to put consistent effort into your craft to gain mastery of it before it begins to become profitable for you.

The fact that you tried a couple of times does not make it invalid. Understand the fact that God gave you the skill, but He will need to grow you into the skill, such that you understand and have knowledge in it to perfection, before showing you off to the world. Every skill and knowledge God gives you requires training.  

Jumping from one career field to another is a big time-waster. And so, you need clarity, which comes from prayer and your ability to hear from God, and then you need resilience, which is the training process to prosper in God’s will for your life. Consider your resilience and determination as the seed you need to sow in order to have the harvest of prosperity from the skill and ability that God has given you.

But one thing you should never do is consider that someone is prospering in their own area of ability and skill and covet that ability and pursue the skill without first asking God if that is His will for your life. In such a situation, no matter your resilience and determination, if God has not given you the skill for that trade, career, or purpose, you are just wasting your time.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” And verse 11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Finally, Habakkuk 2:3 says, “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end, and it will not prove false. Though it lingers, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”

All the scriptures in the paragraph above speak of one thing—the time of the manifestation of skill. The skill, ability, and knowledge that God has given you are there to prosper you, but the timing of that prosperity is determined by God alone.

If there is a waiting season, then the waiting season is a training season. The resilience, persistent effort, and continuous hard work are seeds that precede the harvest. Without the seed, there is no harvest.

So, in answering the question “How do I know God’s will for my life?” The first thing is to pray. You need to pray with a hunger in your heart for an objective answer. You need to be sensitive to your special skill, ability, and knowledge—that ability that makes you take on some special tasks without getting bored. Then you need to put in persistent effort till it becomes a prosperous task for you.

If this message stirred something in your heart, don’t stop here. Here are books that go deeper into these truths—offering clarity, encouragement, and practical faith for real-life seasons. Each one was written to strengthen you where you are and help you walk forward with confidence in God. Explore the books and take the next step in your faith journey today. Click on the button below for details.

                                                    

 

Why is Living as a Christian So Hard?

Living as a Christian is often described as difficult, restrictive, or burdensome. But the first thing I would love to share is that living as a Christian is not as hard as it is perceived to be. Christian living is a total surrender and complete dependence on God kind of living.

Why this may appear as a struggle in the beginning of your decision to surrender all to God is that old habits and ways are not easy to let go of. But even at that, your love for God gently eliminates these habits from your life.

Ephesians 1:13-14 explains the foundation of Christian living in a beautiful way. First, you hear the gospel of Christ, which is the word of truth; then you believe. Your belief in the gospel of your salvation (the gospel of Christ) makes it possible for you to be sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:11 reads like this: “But if the Spirit of Him (the promised Holy Spirit) who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Simply put,  when you choose to believe in Jesus, the same Spirit that was in Jesus is now in you. You have been sealed with that same Spirit.

When you let that same Spirit lead your life, Christian living will not be hard—not because challenges disappear, but because we are no longer carrying life on our own strength. Christian living is not a struggle, but where we begin to experience struggles as a Christian is when we start to challenge the leadership of the Spirit of God within us.

A lot of times, it seems as though where the Spirit of God is leading us through does not make logical sense. We don’t see the road in the path that the Holy Spirit is leading us through. Doubt sets in, and we abandon the leading of the Holy Spirit for our own rational thinking. 1 Corinthians 1:25 tells us that even the foolishness of God is wiser than any presumed wisdom a man can have.

The inability to trust the Spirit of God in us, even when it does not make sense to us, is one of the reasons why we will be tempted to conclude that living as a Christian is hard. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to “Trust in the Lord with all our hearts, and lean not on our understanding. In all our ways, we should acknowledge Him, and He shall direct our paths.”

Proverbs 3:7-8 says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.” Christian living is simply living your life in total trust in God.

The hard part of this lifestyle is your ability to trust God totally. And that can only be built with focus, determination, and discipline, and your deep knowledge of God and His word. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17)

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” This is the call to Christian living, and it does not sound hard to me.

Matthew 6:25-27 Jesus also says, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you, by worrying, can add one cubit to his stature? “

And He also says in Matthew 6:31-32 that “Therefore do not worry, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows you need all these things.”  Reading this further, we will see Jesus tell us to seek God first, and all these things will be added to us.

All of these promises, which are heavenly truths that will not fail, do not sound like living hard to me. So, Christian living is not a hard life. It’s a life that is heavy on trusting God and depending on Him, even when it does not make sense.

I have done my research, and I have not found a portion of the Bible that mandates God to make sense to us first for us to trust Him. In His deep love, He forgives our sins, sent His son to pay the price of our disobedience, even to the point of death. He has laid a pattern for us in Christ Jesus to show the possibility of living right. He has given us the same Spirit that was in Jesus. That is all the sense and logic we need.

When you ask God, He answers you (Matthew 7:7-11). It may not happen when you want it or how you want it. But guess what, He holds the time and seasons in His hands. He knows the perfect timing far more than you can think you know. He answers you at the perfect time. Even your troubles are tools in His hands to bring the greatness that you seek. He makes all things beautiful in its time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Christian living does not exempt us from trials and challenges. As a Christian, your faith will be tested, and your trust in God will be tested. In such moments, your faith is revealed—not because God doubts you, but because trials refine what you already believe. A challenge that cannot break you will only make you stronger.

Isaiah 40:29-31 tells us that God gives power to the weak and those without might, He increases strength. And then the scripture says those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. Your ability to wait on God in days of challenges renews your strength.

Trusting God in the midst of dire challenges can be a big task. When I go through such moments, what helps me through it is that I begin to recall all the times God has come through for me. So, I conclude that if He did it then, He’ll do it again.

And if it does not happen the way I want it, it’s because His idea is far better than mine. This approach has been most helpful to me. I have seen this truth play out in real life, even in deeply painful situations.

Someone very close to me was going through a hard time at work. He was being reported by an anonymous staff member for things he didn’t do. He was a target of racial profiling. He was investigated for all the allegations and was found innocent, but this anonymous person would not relent.

He threatened the company and reported to the highest level of management that if this person close to me was not fired, he would go to the radio station and damage the image of the company to the world. My friend was worried and asked that we pray together. So, we did.

To cut a long story short, the company decided to take legal action against the anonymous reporter. Suddenly, some of the suspected actors in the case began to resign voluntarily, and my friend was vindicated.

And I told my friend that what this issue has done is just to put your name in the right ears. At the level at which this case has gone, those who need to know your name will begin to hear it. Because at the time when God is ready to promote you, the groundwork would have been laid. Romans 8:28 tells us that all things work together for good to those who love God.

Christian living is not hard—it is a life of total dependence on a faithful God. It is trusting Him when the path is unclear, waiting when answers are delayed, and resting in the assurance that He will never fail. Those who trust in Him will never be put to shame.

If this message stirred something in your heart, don’t stop here. Here are books that go deeper into these truths—offering clarity, encouragement, and practical faith for real-life seasons. Each one was written to strengthen you where you are and help you walk forward with confidence in God. Explore the books and take the next step in your faith journey today. Click on the button below for details