In 1962, authorities imprisoned Nelson Mandela for fighting apartheid—a system of institutionalized racial segregation. During his 27 years behind bars, he faced a choice: let bitterness consume him or use the time for transformation. Mandela chose growth. He earned his law degree through correspondence, learned multiple languages, and built relationships that would later prove crucial.
When released, Mandela emerged not broken but strengthened—ready to unify a divided nation. His patient approach to waiting prepared him to change millions of lives.
Like Mandela, we often resist patience at first. But remembering God’s patience with us helps us choose peace over panic—and in that surrender, He shapes us.
The Bible offers powerful lessons on waiting through Peter’s story in Matthew 26. Though Peter often stumbled, Jesus patiently walked with him, shaping him through every failure. It was that unwavering grace that prepared Peter to become a foundational leader in the early church.
The story begins with Jesus taking the disciples to Gethsemane, telling them to keep watch while he prayed. But when He returned, He found them sleeping.
This shows us the first way to wait well—be patient, not passive. Our waiting seasons serve two purposes. First, spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:12 tells us waiting seasons are spiritual battlegrounds: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world.” To wage war on the enemy, we can pray instead of panic, worship instead of worry, and remain instead of run.
Then, our waiting time is for growth. God is forming us, not just fixing us. Patience is a fruit of the spirit, and fruit takes time to grow (Galatians 5:22). Passivity says, “I guess there’s nothing I can do.” But patience says, “God is forming something inside of me.”
The second way to wait well is to wait like a warrior, not a worrier. In Matthew 26:41, Jesus told the disciples, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Warriors are always watching—but they’re not driven by fear; they’re anchored in faith. They don’t panic in silence; they pray in stillness. They don’t walk in anxiety; they walk in authority.
The third way to wait well is to fight the right fights. That night, the disciples woke to Jesus being arrested. Out of emotion and maybe guilt, Peter drew his sword and cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear. He fought the wrong fight—one Jesus never asked him to. How often do we do the same? When we fight the wrong fights, we create messes and lose strength for battles that matter. God gives us both the power to fight—and the wisdom to choose what’s worth fighting for.
Are you in a waiting season? If so, wait well, trusting God is refining you. His path—even when it demands patience—is always best!
