Can’t Wait

Yesterday, I was working on a Sunday School lesson in my favorite “mobile office” location. As I was working I couldn’t help but notice two men having a conversation across the room.

It was a man and his insurance agent, and they were renegotiating his current policy. They were reviewing prices, coverage options, and terms of the policy.

These two men apparently knew each other well because they even discussed the insurance agent’s champion dog racers and his recent emergency room trip because of a colonoscopy side effect.

What really caught my attention was the way the conversation unfolded. The man would ask a question, both personal and insurance related, and before the agent could respond the man would interject with another question or his perspective on his own question.

I don’t know how many of you have ever dealt with that kind of person, but I imagine it can be extremely overwhelming. It was for me just sitting across the room.

Interestingly, the man did not always stay on topic either. He would ask his insurance agent about his policy and then interrupt to ask about the dog racing or his agent’s crazy emergency room visit.

While pondering this conversation, I began thinking of how much I do this, or we as people do this in general.

There are thousands of reasons we do this, but I think it is simply because we can’t wait for the answer. We don’t want to sit and listen while someone else expounds on an idea, articulates their view, explains their perspective, or simply tells their story.

We try to insert our own opinions, views, and perspectives. And often we answer our own questions.

Why did we even ask them in the first place?

This conversation reminded me of 1 Samuel 13 when King Saul was engaged in a battle with the Philistines and was told to wait seven days for the prophet Samuel to arrive to offer a sacrifice and seek the Lord’s will.

When Saul’s men began to lose courage and flee the battlefield, Saul panicked and offered the sacrifice himself. As he was finishing, Samuel arrived declaring Saul’s actions foolish and disobedient to God, thus ending Saul’s line and paving the way for David.

Saul’s actions mirror our own actions toward God. We often want His blessing, His protection, His wisdom, His purpose, His favor, and His forgiveness.

However, before God can answer us we insert our opinion, our perspective, and our desire. We ask, but we can’t wait for the response.

Let us seek God and allow Him to answer in His way in His time.

This may take some work and group effort, but just remember God wants to bless you more than you want to be blessed, but according to His will and purpose.

Anyway, I was just thinking…