Wishful Waiting or Active Anticipation?

We wait. A lot.

In grocery lines, for the school bell to ring, for last month’s business numbers. We heave a sigh, scan our cell phones, and wait for the time to pass.

We wait in our spiritual lives too. For the weekend message. For a word from God. For change.

Has the waiting left you wanting?

What if this year we anticipated instead?

Hebrew 11:1 (NIV) says:

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.

If you’ve read Hebrews 11, you know the ancients weren’t sitting around waiting for God to do something. Believing He was already at work, they moved. Forward. Ark building. Marching.

Anticipating.

Hebrews 12:1 (NIV) gives an anticipation how-to:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses(see Hebrews 11), let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Did you notice? No waiting. You run or you’re done.

And our to-do list for 2014?

  • Throw off hindrances
  • Throw off personal sin tangles
  • Run your race

Anticipate this year’s spiritual journey. Expect God to move. Stop the waiting and the wishful thinking. Get rid of things that slowed you down last year.

And run.

Questions:

How does waiting differ from anticipation? (Think grocery store line vs. Christmas morning.)

Describe your spiritual walk. Is your approach active or passive?

List some hindrances.

List some sin tangles.

What’s your game plan for throwing them off?

Are you running? Anticipating? What will you do differently this year?

Has the waiting left you wanting? Click To Tweet
What if we anticipated instead of waiting? Click To Tweet
Is your spiritual walk active or passive? Click To Tweet
Believing God was already at work, they moved. Forward. Click To Tweet
Did you notice? No waiting. You run or you're done. Click To Tweet
Anticipate this year's spiritual journey. Expect God to move. Click To Tweet
How does waiting differ from anticipation? Click To Tweet

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