When we’ve been asking God to answer a prayer, the next step is to wait. While waiting, eventually impatience may creep in. We continue praying, time passes, and if we see no result, we become tempted to take control and solve our problems ourselves. We take matters into our own hands when we no longer rely on God. It’s an easy slippery slope to fall down because our solutions could be masked as good, when really God never asked us to do it.
We see this example in Sarah’s life:
“Now Sarai [Sarah], Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. So Sarai [Sarah] said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” – Genesis 16:1-2a NLT
Sarah’s problem of “not being able to bear children” led her to find a solution, take control, and solve things on her own. Later in Genesis, Sarah’s “solution” led to many problems.
If you’ve been waiting – here are 3 lessons we can learn NOT to do from Sarah’s story:
1. Sarah assumed this was God’s will for her life.
After 75 years of being infertile, Sarah came to the conclusion that “God has prevented me from having children”. I can only imagine the 75 years of prayers and tears begging the Lord for a baby. Eventually, even those who are pillars of our faith make a wrong conclusion that “The lord has prevented me from having children”. We know it’s the wrong conclusion because that wasn’t His will for her – she eventually had Isaac. We also know this isn’t true because of God’s character – God is a creator of life (Genesis 1:27), God is a healer (Isaiah 53:5), and God keeps his promises (2 Corinthians 1:20). God does give and take away (Job 1:21), but God did not speak this; her conclusion was self-made. Satan is the author of death, sickness, and lies (John 10:10). We do live in a fallen world and experience Satan’s victories, but that does not always mean it’s God’s will for our lives.
Q: What have I assumed is God’s will for my life?
Q: Where have I accepted death, sickness, and lies as God’s will, when it actually was authored by Satan?
Q: Have I stopped praying and asking God for a solution to my problem?
2. Sarah took things into her own hands & fixed her problems.
Oh, how often I fix problems with my own solutions. Of course, the logical thing for Sarah to do is to take control and solve the problem – how could she provide Abraham with a child? Sarah reminds me of Martha in Luke 10:38-42 – a woman who is capable, hard-working, and quick on her feet. All strengths that can become weaknesses when not put into their proper prioritization. Sarah and Martha both needed to submit their desires and skills to God’s timeline. Instead of moving at their hurried pace, they needed to pause to experience and move to God’s rhythm. Desiring control forces a rushed solution. Sarah prayed for God to fix her problems; now she must continually surrender the problem to God’s fixing.
Q: What area of your life have you asked God to fix and now you are feeling impatience about?
Q: Am I moving at a hurried pace and fixing my own problems first, or am I pausing to God’s rhythm?
Q: Have I truly submitted this problem to God and let go of fixing it myself?
3. Sarah was influenced by the culture.
Culture and influence change over time. In that time, it was a normal cultural practice for an infertile wife to solve their problem by having the servant continue the family bloodline. This is not normal in our culture today, but we have our own versions. We actually have access to many more solutions to solve our problems. Our advancements in society are not evil, but we may be reaching for them without being prompted to by God. God did not give Sarah that solution; she is the one who reached for it without asking God. Our pain and impatience may be masked and soothed by a false responsibility. We tell ourselves its our responsibility, but really it’s control. Just because culture says it’s okay, and even if it’s good, doesn’t mean God is asking you to do it.
Q: What is culture recommending you do today to fix your problems?
Q: Is there something you’re doing that culture approves of, but you haven’t asked God if he recommends it?
Sweet friend, life is difficult, and we experience many problems. I understand a small amount of Sarah’s pain – A woman’s desire to have a child is so tender, and it’s also a season I am in as well. If you are wanting a child like Sarah – it’s okay, me too. We are all praying and asking God for something. I pray that any pain and impatience in our hearts is soothed by God. Instead of fixing things on our own like Sarah did, I pray that we instead seek God’s will, patiently move with God’s rhythm, and seek Him first instead of running to cultural solutions.
P.S. Sarah was later told:
“Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” – Genesis 18:14 NLT
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