Is God Waiting on You?

The signal is already green. Sometimes we’re not waiting on God for direction—He’s waiting on us to move.

We say it all the time.

“I’m just waiting on God.”

Waiting on clarity. Waiting on direction. Waiting on the right door to open. Waiting on God to move.

And sometimes that’s exactly right. Scripture tells us to wait on the Lord. Patience is holy. Trust is required. God’s timing is not ours.

But here’s the uncomfortable question we don’t ask often enough:

What if God isn’t wanting us to wait on Him? What if God is waiting on us?

The God Who Speaks—And Then Waits

One of the most overlooked patterns in Scripture is this: God speaks first… and then waits.

He waits for people to listen. He waits for obedience. He waits for movement.

Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount not by saying, “Think about this,” but by saying, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them…” (Matthew 7:24).

James echoes it plainly: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22)

God is not unclear. He is not silent as often as we claim. More often than not, He has already spoken—and we haven’t caught up yet.

When “Waiting on God” Becomes a Delay Tactic

Sometimes “waiting on God” is faith.

Other times, if we’re honest, it’s cover.

It’s a spiritual way of saying:

• I don’t want to obey yet.

• I’m afraid of what obedience will cost.

• I want certainty before I move.

• I’m hoping God will change His mind.

But Scripture rarely shows God waiting on humans to feel ready. It shows Him waiting on them to respond.

Israel wandered forty years—not because God was slow, but because they were stubborn. Jonah sat under a plant—not because God hadn’t spoken, but because Jonah didn’t like what God said. The rich young ruler walked away—not because Jesus was unclear, but because obedience was inconvenient.

God wasn’t waiting to give new instructions. He was waiting for them to act on the ones already given.

How Do We Know When God Is Waiting on Us?

This is where discernment matters.

Here are a few indicators that the delay might not be God’s:

1. You already know what Scripture says. If God’s Word is clear about forgiveness, reconciliation, generosity, repentance, humility, or obedience—then clarity isn’t the issue.

2. You’re asking God to confirm what He’s already commanded. When prayer becomes a negotiation instead of surrender, that’s a warning sign.

3. You’re busy—but not obedient. We confuse activity with faithfulness. God isn’t impressed by motion if it avoids obedience.

4. You feel convicted—but keep scrolling. Conviction is often God’s nudge. Distraction is how we ignore it.

What Keeps Us From Knowing?

A few things consistently cloud our awareness.

Distraction. Noise dulls discernment. Constant input leaves no space for reflection. God often speaks quietly, and we live loudly.

Slothfulness. Not laziness in the physical sense, but spiritual inertia. We know what to do—we just don’t want to expend the effort it requires.

Fear. Fear of change. Fear of loss. Fear of being misunderstood. Fear of stepping out without a guarantee.

Comfort. Obedience usually disrupts comfort. Waiting feels safer than moving.

God Is Patient—but He Is Not Passive

This is the tension we miss.

God is patient. He is kind. He is long-suffering.

But patience does not mean inactivity.

Often, God is waiting—not because He is unsure, but because He refuses to drag us into obedience.

He waits for us to listen. He waits for us to slow down. He waits for us to stop asking for new words and start living out the old ones.

As Isaiah wrote, “The Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion.” (Isaiah 30:18)

Notice the posture: God is ready. God is willing. God is waiting.

So… Is God Waiting on You?

That’s not a question meant to produce guilt—but clarity.

Have you mistaken delay for discernment? Have you labeled fear as wisdom? Have you confused waiting with faithfulness?

Sometimes the most faithful thing we can do isn’t wait longer. It’s take the next obedient step we already know we’re supposed to take.

Because more often than we’d like to admit, God isn’t hiding His will from us—

He’s waiting for us to trust Him enough to walk in it.