While You Wait

Written by: Faith Avery

Photo by: Akins Baptiste (IG: @akins_b)

As a new college graduate, my most commonly received question after “how do you feel?” is “what’s next?”. While some of my peers can answer with a big time executive position at a major corporation or a brief trip abroad before starting their next educational journey, all I’ve given is a resounding “I don’t know, wherever God takes me.”And this answer, though full of trust in God, has also been wrought with uncomfortability over the last nine months or so.

When I fasted and prayed for God to give me direction on my post-graduate journey almost a year ago, He gave me an undeniable “no” to grad school or law school. When I sought His answer for what I should do instead, I was given the clearest, yet vaguest instruction: “Abide in me”.

A·bide: to stay; to remain

‭‭John‬ ‭15:5-8‬ (‭NKJV‬‬) - “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

It is with this instruction that I went into my final year of college. With a determination to stay in God’s presence, I remained in my word and prayer, even in the face of adversity. Yet, did abiding mean no searching for jobs? No internships? The answer was indeed “no, be still” at every turn. So, I was still.

In the stillness, God pruned me like never before. My dream life was more active than ever, my spiritual gifts flourished, and I was filled with an insatiable gratitude for God my Father and the many blessings He placed in my life. Yet, the stillness turned into anticipation, and the anticipation turned into worry.

The longer I waited in stillness, the more job deadlines passed me by. The longer I abided, the more unsure I became about my career plans. The longer I remained, the more I saw peer after peer accept job offers and gain acceptances.

And I began to wonder if abiding was worth it at all. Surely, God would want me to take action. Faith without works is dead, right? Yet, every action I took confirmed the prior instruction: “abide and be still”. It was not until January of the new year that God released me from the stillness to begin applying for jobs.

With firmer steps, I scrolled through posting after posting and submitted application after application. I spent a month tailoring my portfolio and sat in numerous meetings to ensure my resume was perfect. Yet, I was met with rejection or worse, non-communication from every place and position I applied to. No interview invitations, all summer internship opportunities down the drain, and no job lined up.

January turned into February and February into April. My worry turned to anxiety. With tears in my eyes and a tightness in my chest, I watched the days until graduation grow smaller in number. I began to grow hopeless. “I will be the one with no job for a year after graduation”. “No one wants me because I’m unqualified”. “My entire college career has been a waste”. The stillness felt more like an impenetrable silence from God and the waiting felt like a death sentence.

When I began to sink to my lowest, God spoke to me:

Isaiah 46:9-10 (NLT) - “Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God and there is none like me. 10 Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I can do whatever I wish.”

At this, I began to wipe my eyes. If I can proclaim that God is unfailing with such faith and if I can encourage my friends with the same scripture, why do I lack such hope for my own situation? If I can wait for God to be faithful to all of my friends, surely He will be the same to me. And moreso, why am I putting so much trust in myself anyway? Is it not at a touch of God’s hand that things shift? Is it not He who was faithful to Moses, Joshua, Esther, and Joseph? And is it not this same unchanging God who will be faithful to me?

With this reality (and slight ego) check, I resumed my wait with a fresh posture and fresh understanding, all of which I share with you.

1. Waiting seasons are not always self-inflicted. If I could give myself a job offer, I would. Yet, I understand that my wait is merely God closing doors that He does not intend for me to go through. So, I will be obedient in applying until God opens the door He designed for me.

2. Trust God. And this trust should not be merely in speech, but in my heart, mind and spirit. I must trust more in God’s abilities, plans, and character than I trust in my own, or that of anyone around me. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

3. Seek God. Seek ye the Lord! Do not seek Him, simply for a job, opportunity, etc., but spend intentional time in His presence. Know that God has so much more to give you than a new humble-bragging point and wants to do so much more within you. Allow your time in God’s presence to be centered on knowing God more (His character and countenance). Leave His presence with more revelation about Him and let that revelation lead to introspection. How can you serve God more? How can you love those around you better? How can you walk more intentionally in what God is calling you to do? (Isaiah 55:6)

4. Be encouraged. Though it can be difficult to watch those around you (even if they are your friends) leave their waiting season with an offer or acceptance, let their situation encourage you, not discourage you! Know that if God did it for them, He will surely do it for you. Moreso, rejoice with your friends! It is truly beautiful to see God honor your loved one’s patience, resilience and obedience to Him. Their walk will not mirror yours and God’s well of promises has not run dry. He is infinite and has more than enough goodness to give to all of His children. (Isaiah 41:10)

5. He will not put to shame those who trust in him. Despite the belief of some, God does not laugh at our pain. He does not rejoice in seeing us stumble and taking blatant missteps. He is not going to let us embarrass ourselves for His own amusement. If we’re declaring we trust in the Lord and believing the Lord to deliver on His promises, He will! Why? God loves us. He is not a man that He should lie. He honors those who believe in Him. And with His own name & character on the line, He’ll most certainly see us through. Wouldn’t you? (Romans 10:9-11)

While you wait, practice gratitude, not just for the things God has already done, but for everything you believe He will do. Thank Him for the job offer, the new car, the new house, the pay raise, and the promotion. While you wait, know that the character of God will forever be true. He is unfailing, promise-keeping, forever mindful of you, and the lover of your soul. While you wait, do not despise the process. Be empowered to know that your present suffering, uncomfortability, or uncertainty do not compare to the glory that is coming.

Scriptures of the Season

• Isaiah 46:9-10 (NLT) - “Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God and there is none like me. 10 Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I can do whatever I wish.”

• Psalms 25:4-7 (NLT) - “Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow 5 Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. 6 Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past. 7 Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love which you have shown from long ages past.”

• Psalms 27:13-14 (NLT) - “Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. 14 Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.”

• Psalms 33:20-22 (NLT) - “We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. 22 Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone.”

• Psalms 71:14-16 (NLT) - “But I will keep on hoping for our help; I will praise you more and more. 15 I will tell everyone about your righteousness. All day long I will proclaim your saving power, though I am not skilled with words. 16 I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign Lord. I will tell everyone that you alone are just.”

• Philippians 1:6 (NLT) - “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Jesus Christ returns.”