It’s Never the Perfect Time
“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Through the years, I have watched people say, “When I get that raise, then I can settle down and enjoy life.” Or “When I graduate from college, I will begin ‘real life’ and begin enjoying my life.” I’ve mistakenly said some of the same things at different points in my life. How sad. Life doesn’t work that way. Life is never perfect, or under one’s control. If you wait for a specific achievement, you will always end up living an unsatisfying life.
Reece Robertson, in his article, “Why You’d Be Miserable If Someone Gave You Everything You’ve Ever Wanted,” points out, “We don’t want success. We want growth. And those are two very different things. All the rewards come from the process, not the results.” You can miss out on a lot of life by waiting for a milestone to feel satisfied or happy. Then, there is always the surprisingly problematic issue that creeps up and disrupts the milestone, making it less than joyous. If we are only happy when we celebrate a success, we will remain less than fulfilled.
The same holds true with one’s faith. If we wait to join a church until we are settled, you will probably never join. If you wait to carve out a devotional life until you can work fewer hours, we will leave God waiting. Faith is like anything else; if we do not prioritize time for Scripture and prayer, real meaning will be elusive. Faith requires dedication when there isn’t time, when there isn’t energy, when there isn’t a feeling of success. What Robertson says is true: life is a process; life isn’t the results.
Today, pray for the way you view your life. Are you waiting for something to happen or change before you can find happiness or fulfillment? Life is difficult. There are rarely moments when life feels successful, let alone fulfilled. Embrace the journey and experience the joys along the way. If you can do that, all of life will be meaningful, not just the rare moments. That is what God desires of us and allows us to experience the desires of our hearts.
