Are You Ok With All Three? Yes, Wait, and No

It's a great thing to see what you want and chase it! In fact it's what everyone should be doing, regardless of the season of their life. The hard part is being Ok with the waiting, or an outright no when you chase it...

So I'll ask the question. Have you ever been chasing something you wanted? Perhaps it was a job, or a relationship? Maybe a collectors item, a car, or maybe an achievement? How badly did you want it? Did you get it? Would you have been ok if you didn't get it? Would you have been ok if you had to wait 10 years for it?

Those are the real questions. Because we all have things we want. But The Lord knows best what is good for us today, and also in the long run.

I think we can all agree it's a great thing when we want something, we chase it, and we get it! However...

Would you be ok if the Lord said you had to wait 10 months... or 10 years for it?

Now things are getting serious... hard to stomach even. But it's a good question. Put yourself in that situation. Standing in front of that thing you are chasing and then The Lord is standing there. He says "You can have it, but you must wait 10 more years.". What would you feel in that moment?

• Anger?
• Fear?
• Anxiety?
• Panic?
• Depression?
• Rage?
• Confusion?
• Bitterness?

Something to consider when you are chasing something. If you were confronted with a long wait what would you feel? That can tell you a lot about what you are feeling about what you are chasing... Sometimes that's a good thing! It reveals how much you desire it! Other times it might reveal that your whole pursuit is toxic and dysfunctional...

But that's not the hardest of the answers...

Would you be ok if the Lord said "No. That is not what I have planned for you."

Now comes that place where things get messy. Because if you trust the Lord you'd be smart to accept His answer as love and follow his direction. But it's not that easy most times, is it? Especially since we have free will. We can continue to chase it and even get what we desired! But where does that leave you?

It leaves you in these places:

• What if God had something better for me?
• What if this is going to bring ruin to my life in a few months or years?
• What if this prevents God from giving me what He planned?
• What if there are consequences that I cannot "take back" from this?
• What if it turns out to not even be what I hoped and wanted, and I turned from God's path as well...?

But it's messy, and painful for God to say "No" to us when we want something, when we chase something. It's hard to stomach. It's hard to accept. It invokes anger, fear, bitterness, distrust and so many other things. Because we want it, but now we are being told "No".

How do you avoid those negatives? Two things:

Ask the Lord ahead of time if it's His will for you to chase it.

Actually, legit accept his answer and walk forward into that answer whether you like it or not.

Neither of those are easy. In fact they can be near impossible in some cases. But in the end, your life will be better if you can manage those 2 things.