Waiting With Eager Patience

“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:22–25, ESV)

Creation Is Waiting

Isn’t it interesting to think about the concept of creation waiting with an eager longing? Think about trees patiently waiting for decades (even centuries), slowly planting roots, slowly reaching up to the sky, waiting for God to act. Think about the oceans waiting for millennia, slowly rocking back and forth, rising and falling, growing uneasy then calm, all in anticipation for a work that God will do. 

We’re not alone in our waiting. We are surrounded by a creation that is leaning forward, looking at the horizon, longing for God to make his final move of redemption. 

Groaning And Waiting

We don’t enjoy waiting. As Paul says, we “groan inwardly as we wait,” longing for God to act—to do something. Our groaning increases because we have a taste of what’s coming. Paul says we’ve received “the firstfruits of the Spirit.” Like a child who has been smelling the chocolate cake baking in the oven, finally getting a taste of its wonderful goodness, only to find out he cannot eat the cake for a few days. So, he groans. 

Since we don’t enjoy waiting, we respond to waiting in two different ways. 

Impatient Non-Waiting

One way to respond to waiting is to grow impatient. The child stares at the cake, dreaming about the day when he can finally eat it—dreaming of ways he can sneak a bite with no one knowing. Eventually, he cannot wait any longer. He shoves his hand into the cake and then into his mouth. Moving from immediate gratification, to immediately recognizing that he has ruined the cake. That’s impatience. 

Apathetic Non-Waiting

Yet, others lose their eagerness in waiting. They begin by staring at the cake, looking forward to tasting and seeing that it is good. However, they grow tired of waiting. They begin convincing themselves that the cake isn’t that good anyway. They don’t really need the cake. Their life is just fine without the cake. So, they lose their eagerness and mistakenly call it patience. 

Eager Patience

Yet, the waiting that Paul is calling us to do is eager and patient. We are eagerly awaiting a fuller redemption to come, but we wait for it with patience. We don’t grow impatient waiting for this redemption and try to accomplish it right now in this instant. Yet, we also do not grow apathetic—loosing our eagerness—attempting to convince ourselves that we need nothing better than we have right now. No. There is something greater on the horizon. God has a fuller redemption coming. He calls us to look forward to it eagerly with patience. 

Advent Reminder

Advent is a season that can teach us eager patience. It reminds us of how God worked powerfully in history. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, it reminds us that God is “able to do far more abundantly that all that we ask or think” (Eph 3:20). 

Not only should this stir our hearts in grateful joy for God’s work in the past, but this should stir our hearts with expectation for God’s work in the future. God must have something really big in store—coming on the horizon—as he brings Jesus’ redemption to its fulfillment. Let us not grow weary in waiting—losing our eagerness—nor impatient in our waiting—grasping at fulfillment before its time. Let us eagerly and patiently await the glorious work that God has accomplished already and the work that He will accomplish in the future.