We don’t like waiting! But waiting is a central part of our faith. There is an “already, not yet” factor we have to consider in every experience in life. In the case of the seniors who are graduating, you are already old enough to vote, go to war, choose a spouse without your parents’ permission, pay taxes, drive a car, a motorcycle or a boat, and sign a lease on your own apartment. On the other hand, you can’t legally buy tobacco, alcohol, rent a car, or buy a gun, not yet anyway.

This doesn’t feel fair, right? “Why should I have to wait?” You say, “I’m old enough to die in a war, but not old enough to rent a car or buy a drink? It’s not fair!”

We don’t like waiting and some of you don’t. But have you considered what you might be missing out on by taking now, what might be better later? Waiting is part of life. After all, there’s nine months built into the process of becoming a parent. There’s time required before cashing in on investments, there’s wisdom in counting to 10 before responding if you value your relationships. Similarly, you can get married at eighteen, but to become a great spouse takes a lifetime. You can go to war at eighteen, but to become a seasoned soldier takes time, discipline and training. You can get lots of money quickly, but wisdom to know how to manage it well takes time.

When do you learn how to wait for things that require it if you never practice waiting? Most of our spiritual journey makes us wait. The Bible uses the image of a mustard seed to describe the kingdom of God because to fully discover the kingdom takes time.

I’m convinced that the things we really want in life can only be gained in time. We want joy, a deep sense of peace and belonging that often comes in spite of suffering and loss, but we settle for happiness, a condition of circumstances, often artificially altered. We want true intimacy and love, the byproduct of humility, mutual trust, confession of sin, honesty, transparency and commitment, but we settle for popularity, fame, and social acceptance.

We don’t like to wait, but we also don’t like the results of shallow pursuits and surface level lives.

In reference to the coming Messiah, Zechariah prophesied that we should not despise small beginnings. In other words, if we never learn to wait joyfully on what seems insignificant, we may miss that which is most significant.

As you step into the next season of your life, be content to start at the bottom and work your way up. There are untold treasures to be found in the simple, mundane tasks that make up regular service and necessary work. Prospering comes in the end to those who are willing to wait for it. So, don’t worry if you don’t have everything you ever wanted immediately just wait for it, it’s worth it!