For many of us and the people to whom we minister, living means activity. We are used to going and doing. COVID may leave many feeling as if they are just waiting. Let’s be honest. Waiting can be annoying, boring and frustrating.
There’s a very interesting passage in Galatians chapter one. We tend to think after his conversion, Paul packed his suitcase and hit the road on his missionary journeys. The reality this chapter paints is very different.
It appears Paul spent a solid three years after his conversion in a sense waiting for his missionary journeys to begin. It appears he spent most of that time in Arabia and then returned to Damascus before Barnabas got him on the road.
What happened during those three years? The picture is a bit fuzzy at exactly how it happened, but it’s clear God used that time to prepare Paul for what laid ahead of him.
God can use our periods of waiting for His purposes in preparing us for the good works He has prepared for us in the future. Our current situation may be one of those periods in our lives that God is using to prepare us for the future of our personal or corporate ministries.
God has given us a lot of tools to become better prepared while we are waiting to be released from quarantine. Using at least some of our time to focus on our spiritual and ministerial growth and development is important if we want to emerge from this season better prepared for the opportunities God gives us to minister to others.
So spend more time in scripture and prayer. Do some godly strategic planning. Use our free resources at Teach One Reach One Ministries to learn best practices. Work on strengthening relationships with the people to whom you minister. Get some quality Sabbath rest. Meditate on key Bible verses. Spend time in God’s creation. Create something for your ministry or for someone to whom you minister.
Don’t ignore the possible gifts in your times of waiting. Use them to become stronger spiritually and better prepared to minister to others. You may just be amazed how God can use you when you use times of waiting wisely!