I Will Not Waste This Wait: Chains Will Fall Later

Am I a waiter? Not the kind in a restaurant, though the principle is the same. A waiter relies on a customer to have a need, to enter the establishment, and to place an order. Without that customer, the waiter simply leans against a wall, sits in a booth, or folds napkins. Their purpose remains unfulfilled until someone else acts.

I am in a season of waiting as I write this. I am waiting on a decision—a move from someone else—to determine my own next step. During this interval, I have options. I could lean against the wall, lay in bed, or stare at the ceiling as I wait for a call.

Reflecting on past seasons, I wonder how often I have wasted the wait. I’ve waited to feel motivated, waited for a specific date, waited for more information, or waited for a word of encouragement. I realize now that when things didn’t go my way, it was easy to blame the circumstances or the people I was waiting on. But was the waste actually mine?

Years ago, I heard a sermon by Steven Furtick titled Knock Knock. It inspired me to be “faithful first”—to act, and then watch how God provides even when the answers are missing.

I keep coming back to Acts 12:1–7. King Herod had already executed James and had moved on to seize Peter. Peter was in prison, bound by chains, guarded by four squads of soldiers, and facing a public trial that likely meant his death.

The text says:

“The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. ‘Quick, get up!’ he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.”

There was Peter, facing the same fate as James, yet he was somehow asleep. What was the church praying for? Was it for his peace? If so, those prayers were answered, because he was resting soundly. Then the angel arrived with a command: “Quick, get up!”

If I were Peter, I might have argued. “I can’t; I’m chained up. I can’t; there are guards everywhere. I can’t; I’m waiting for a miracle.” I know I’d say those things because I already do. I say, “I can’t; I’m tired. I can’t; I’m not motivated. I can’t; I don’t know what to do yet.”

But Peter didn’t argue. He obeyed, and then the chains fell off.

In this season, I need the reminder not to waste the waiting. Sleep is not a waste. Prayer is not a waste. And action, even in the absence of perfect information, is not a waste. When we move in obedience, the chains of limitation, excuse, guilt, and despair finally fall away.

I have what I need: breath in my lungs, a capable mind, a body that can move, and the promise of His presence. I will not waste this wait.