The Consequence of Impatience

Luke 15:11-19

We send a strong, negative message by exhibiting impatience toward God. When we demonstrate an inability to tolerate delay, we are telling the Lord, “I do not trust Your timing; mine is better.”

At times, we all stand at a fork in the road of life and must decide whether we’re willing to wait for God’s prompting. It’s critical that we obey Him and be patient with His schedule and plan. Consider the negative example of the Prodigal Son, who squandered his inheritance and then faced several consequences:

  1. He brought sorrow on his family. Oftentimes our impatience hurts those we love.
  2. He separated from his family. When we run ahead of God, we also frequently run away from voices of reason and wisdom in our life.
  3. He faced poverty. We stand to lose a great deal when we ignore the Lord’s timing because His blessing accompanies our obedience.
  4. He felt unworthy. We cannot experience fellowship with God when impatience keeps us outside of His will.

We know that at the end of the story, the Prodigal Son is joyfully welcomed back into his family. His father lavishes love and attention upon this son and assures him of his worth. But although he is forgiven, the results of his impatience are not entirely erased. He will never regain the wealth he wasted. It’s not always possible to take back our mistakes once we have jumped ahead of God. It is always better that we wait for Him to tell us when to move forward.

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