The problem with proverbial advice is that it doesn’t come with instructions. We have “Look before you leap” pitted against “He who hesitates is lost.” This is the tension we feel when we need something done,
but don’t know exactly what to do and when to act. I want to “do something,” but on the other hand, I want to “wait on the Lord” and His timing.
For example, we can mistake procrastination for “waiting on the Lord” if we are cowardly or fearful. We can tell everyone, including ourselves, we are waiting, when, in reality, we are merely afraid to act. After all, what if we do the wrong thing?
The other side of the coin is just as possible, depending upon your personality profile. A “take charge” person is on the phone immediately, seeking to solve the problem, but he/she may be merely trying to micromanage things rather than allowing time for the Lord to act. He may be just as fearful of leaving things in God’s hands, or have trust issues with people in general.
There is no easy answer to the dilemma, of course, because each case and person is different. But a rule of thumb is first to ask, “Am I acting (or waiting) in faith?” How can you tell? Try asking yourself questions like these:
Have I done everything I was expected to do?
Have I made the contacts I promised to make?
Is someone waiting for an answer from me?
Does my conscience nag me that there are loose ends to tie up?
Have I prayed over the outcome, leaving it all in God’s hands?
Am I really trusting God to intervene, or fearful He will not come through?
Am I pressuring people to the point of their discomfort?
Am I angry that someone isn’t doing things to suit my expectations?
Honest answers to these and similar questions can help us sort through the “Wait or Act” dilemma, beginning with asking yourself what kind of person you are. But whether you never return anything to the store, or the complaint department knows you by your first name, we all are called to walk by faith.
When we ask, God will guide us and show us how. He loves to do that.
“Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.”
Psalm 25:8, 9