As a child, one of my favorite times in the kitchen was when my mom baked a cake. My sister and I would hang around, eagerly waiting for the moment our mom handed over the bowl and spoon with the remaining batter after she put the cake in the oven. One of us would get the bowl and the other the spoon.
As much as we enjoyed this stage of the baking process, we would much rather have the cake. But the cake required not only mixing the batter, but also the oven’s heat and enough time for it to work. So we waited for that cake, knowing it would be so much better than the batter.
Sometimes in life, we get discouraged because things don’t seem to be working according to our expectations and timeline. It might be that you expected to be married by a particular time, or to have accomplished an educational or career goal, or expected an answer to a long-awaited prayer request. Waiting for that answer isn’t easy, especially when it feels like it’s taking much longer than it should.
Here are a few tips that will help you stay motivated and avoid discouragement:
1. Be aware that God is working behind the scenes even when we can’t see all that is happening. In James 1:3, it says, ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.’ It’s vital to know that during our delays, disappointments, and difficulties, God is producing something inside us for His honour and glory.
2. Adjust our attitude, given that we know that God is working for us. James 1:4 says, ‘But let patience have her perfect work’, the key word being ‘let’. Allow God’s process to work, having confidence in what He is doing.
3. Look forward to the outcome, knowing that it will be good. James 1:4 also says, ‘that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.’ It is motivating to know that the end product of God’s process will not disappoint.
So, as you wait on God’s process, stay motivated. God is working, even when we can’t see what is happening. Don’t settle for the batter. Look forward to the cake.