Finding Rest While Waiting

Waiting is not always easy. In fact, it can be emotionally draining and physically exhausting. Restlessness often grows out of uncertainty and a sense of lost control. Spiritually, this tension is common—especially when we are waiting on God and cannot yet see or understand His plan.

This experience is sometimes called anticipatory anxiety or being in a prolonged waiting mode. Our perception of time rarely aligns with God’s timing, and when the wait feels interminable, frustration can grow. If what we’re praying and hoping for seems delayed—or even unlikely—our emotions can swing between hope and anger, leading to irrational thoughts or spiritual fatigue

 But Jesus gives us an invitation:

Matthew 11:28–29

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

When we wait with faith, God renews our strength.
When we wait with worship, He gives us peace.
When we wait with patience, He transforms our hearts.

 While we wait, the question becomes: How are we occupying our time?
Are we coming to Jesus for rest, or are we letting our minds fill with endless desires, fears, and uncertainties?

Scripture directs us clearly:

Psalm 37:7

Jesus wants to give us rest from mental confusion, worry, and stress—the internal and external enemies of our soul. Rest means to be still, to be at peace, and to trust Him fully. Even as Christians, we are not immune to the emotional struggles that accompany seasons of waiting. Yet we do have a choice in how we respond in God’s “waiting room.”

Our natural tendencies may lean toward:

• Anger
• Bitterness
• Self-pity
• Frustration
• Doubt
• Fear
• Despair

But we can choose a better response.

We can either spiral into emotional turmoil—or we can rest in the Lord.
We rest by bringing everything to Him in prayer: our fears, our needs, our hopes, our disappointments. As we confess our dependence and express gratitude for what He has already done, He pours into us a peace that is beyond understanding.

While you wait in His waiting room, quiet your heart.
Surrender every part of yourself to Him.
Look to Him—only Him—for help.
And you will find perfect peace in His presence.

-Leslie Marks, MSN, FNP-BC