The Virus That is JUST Waiting - Part I

By now, most of us have heard all about the virus that’s gripping the world, with a death rate of about 2% of its infected. What we don’t know though, is that many of us have been walking around infected with a different type of virus for years. The virus of Just Waiting.

We recognize sickness in the natural with ease; nowadays we jump every time we hear someone cough or sneeze around us. Still, most of us don’t even realize what we’ve been dealing with and how it plagues us.

What do I mean?

I mean that there is a huge difference between waiting patiently on God’s plan for you (particularly as it pertains to your love life)... and Just Waiting.

One is a continuous and intentional act of trust in God, while the other can be viewed as a virus. An illness, that, the sooner you recognize and start to properly treat, the sooner you can begin truly walking in God’s purpose for you.

How exactly do we know whether we’re healthy and waiting patiently, or secretly infected with Just Waiting?

As the Bible says you will know a tree by its fruit, you can recognize this virus by the symptoms it produces in you.

Symptom #1:

You’re impatient.

Sounds like a pretty obvious sign that you’re not waiting patiently, I know. But often, you are grappling with impatience without even knowing you are. So... Are you constantly wondering if every eligible and attractive person who enters you life could possibly be “the one”? Do you find yourself daydreaming all the time about your future partner? Do you tell yourself “Oh, I’ll just wait til the love of my life arrives to finally start [insert something you know you should’ve been doing].”

If you have a habit of doing these things, restlessness and impatience have definitely taken up residence inside of you.

Symptom #2:

You’re jealous.

This is a hard one for most people (especially us ladies), to admit. So let me be the first to fess up... I've been there. Done that. I used to find myself envious of just about every Christian couple I would come across. I would think they’re so cute.... But how come I don’t get to experience that with someone?

In all actuality, the presence of jealousy is a sign that we don’t fully believe we’re going to get what we asked God for. If we did, why would we get upset about seeing someone else with something that looks like it? This leads us right into the next symptom.

Symptom #3:

You’re doubtful.

Maybe you strongly hope you’ll get what you desire, but on some level, you find it hard to believe that the type of person you’re waiting for even exists. I mean, let’s be realistic here. An attractive man who’s interested in you and isn’t secretly just looking for sex, and a second mother? Who you won’t have to drag to church or to the alter? A woman who’s beautiful inside and out and is truly loyal, with no ulterior motives? Who’s not just out here trying to use you to get back at her ex?

In 2020 ? In this economy ?

Yeah, right...

Right. If you found yourself inwardly nodding to any of that, doubt has definitely latched onto your heart, mind, or both.

Symptom #4:

You’re stuck.

This symptom is actually the hardest to spot. That is because you can be so, so busy, and making so many “moves,” and yet still be stuck and stagnant. So, how do you know if that’s the case for you?

A great way to identify it is to ask yourself the following.

Are you consistently working to advance in things that would still matter to you if money didn’t exist?

Go ahead. Think about the things that warm your heart and make you feel a sense of purpose... things that have nothing to do with increasing your economic earnings.

Are you actively trying to advance in those things?

Your craft (for the sake of just creating, not so that you can better profit off it?) Your relationships with your family & friends? Your health? Your self-discipline? Your service & outreach to your community? Your ministry? Your relationship with God?

Are you dedicating the amount of time you want to, to advancing in things that are important to you, completely independent of how you could capitalize off of them?

Truthfully speaking, most of us aren’t. We live in a world that puts a sytematic, almost unavoidable emphasis on profit and income. The result is that we often end up living in a rat race. We navigate life just for the money. We live investing our time into things we think will bring us more capital and while doing so, neglect to invest in the things that would matter to us most if money was a non-factor of life. It’s why so many of us unknowingly spend our days building in our careers and our degrees and our businesses, at the expense of our relationships, our hobbies, our self-image, our personal development, our faith.

Again, this symptom is a very complex one to pick up on, but if you identify with the last sentence more than you’d like to... you are probably stuck like Chuck. You have been progressing, but not in the things that actually matter to your heart and therefore, you’re not really progressing. You are living in stagnancy.

Now if you’re reading all of this and going, “Hm. I’m definitely experiencing these symptoms, and she’s definitely being too loud,” don’t feel bad. Lots of us have experienced them, and still are.

Now that you recognize the symptoms you’re exhibiting, you can finally address the underlying cause of them.

In Part II of this, we’ll delve into what that underlying cause is, and how we can begin seeking treatment for Just Waiting right where we are.