Tom Petty was obviously talking about tough times as a dad when he sang, “The waiting is the hardest part.” Remember him singing, “The waaaiittin’ is the haaardest part…” Come on, 80’s greatness. My kids hate Tom Petty. I’m doing something wrong, brothers. Anyway, waiting is tough. How can we learn to better handle it? There’s some Old Testament goodness in the Book of Isaiah. Isaiah’s about judgement and hope for Israel. But, what can it teach us dads?
I think it can teach us at least three things we should do while waiting through tough times as a dad:
- Realize you need God’s strength.
- Rely on God’s strength.
- Remember our hope comes from God alone.
“but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” —Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)
Are you in tough times as a dad?
There are three ideas I want to bring to your attention from Isaiah 40:31. Over at Father On Purpose, Kent talks this week about adopting one of his sons and having to wait four and a half years. What?! Man. I can’t imagine. But, we get it, right. Waiting is tough. Kent’s words and this verse in Isaiah got me thinking about how this encouraging word from God might apply to us as dads.
Sometimes God calls us to wait. What are YOU waiting on right now?
- to get healthy from a physical issue?
- a new or better a job?
- a heartache from a child?
- a difficult time to go away?
If you’re waiting, there’s good news in this verse from Isaiah. God pays special attention to your situation and He promises to deliver strength in your time of need. Remember, how we wait as dads is critical for our families to witness.
Let’s dive in, especially to the phrase “…but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength…” and see what Scripture tells us to do. I want to look at this phrase—paying attention to what it meant for Israel—and what it can mean for us. This verse gives us three ideas to lean on during tough times.
#1 Realize you need God’s strength in tough times as a dad.
Let’s be honest, we all grow tired at some point. I don’t care how young or trained you are. We all get tired, burned out, or fail at some point. But, thankfully, God is all-powerful. He is in control. And, His control goes beyond our understanding. I need you to know this: You are not alone. You are not ignored. God loves you. His strength is sufficient. That’s not me being super nice. I’m not that nice. That’s from God’s Word. God says to Israel—through Isaiah here—that God’s judgment wasn’t haphazard or unplanned, it was intentional.
Think about it: God created the heavens and the earth. In Genesis, we see the God who thought of the universe and the oceans. This same God knows every hair on your head. He can do what He wants. Yes, it’s hard to understand. But, we learn the more we dig into His Word that we aren’t in control. We never were. God is. This shouldn’t confuse you. It should give you hope. Don’t feel weak—feel strong—knowing this.
But, never forget, your strength isn’t from you. You did nothing. Sorry, it’s not about you. You weren’t there when God did His creating (see the Book of Job for more about the power you DON’T have). So, whatever trial you’re going through now; guess what, God is there. If you get anything from this, understand God is worthy of our trust. Trust His strength instead of your own. He was there before us. If you’re having doubts, fine. But, learn to lean into His Word even more. Work through it. Seek truth. Seek wisdom. Seek Him. God is intentional. He is not in the business of neglecting his children.
#2 Rely on God’s strength.
When we’re in the middle of a problem, that’s the very time we often don’t rely on God. In trying to overcome our biggest problems as dads, we need to tap into God’s strength. Where do you turn when the going gets tough? Think about it. Is your first reaction to turn to yourself? Listen, we show a watching family where we find our hope in trials.
Smart folks call this “active dependance”. The idea of waiting on God—for His timing. But, this isn’t about doing nothing. When we trust God our waiting looks different. Seriously, waiting should look more like admitting our dependance and giving things over to God.
Think about it: in Isaiah’s day, the gods of Babylon weren’t the most powerful. God was. Today, your strength shouldn’t come from you, your job, or whatever other “little gods” you place your trust in. Anything in addition to God is not God. From God’s side of things, the kings and rulers of this world have no power. They are dust—just like us. We are here for a moment and then we’re gone. Our time is short. This shouldn’t make you sad. It should make you rely on Him. Whatever you are struggling with now, God has overcome it—with His strength—not yours. Rest comes when we learn to rely on God’s strength. Some might call this peace. : )
#3 Remember our hope comes from God alone in tough times as a dad.
The gods (lowercase “g”) from the Book of Isaiah were not The God. Get closer and you find errors and weaknesses with the little g’s. Where does your hope come from? Don’t believe the lie that hope comes from anywhere but God. What’s the first thing the world does when something bad happens? Answer: host a benefit concert.
Think about it: We are quick to raise money. Now, I’m not saying money is bad. Host ALL THE BENEFIT CONCERTS. Don’t email me about this. But, hear me, doesn’t the desire for more money in a crisis point to what the world trusts in? Oh, you need help? Then, I know what you need—more money. We live as if money is the answer to all of our ills. It’s not. Raise all the money you want. Get the best doctors. Get the cleanest water. I’m pro-clean water over here. Whatever issue you want to fight. Fight it. But don’t look to money as your hope. It should be clear to a watching family that your hope comes from God alone.
Here’s the point: If you’ve read the entire Book of Isaiah, you find toward the end of the Book, there are two kinds of people. There are the servants and the wicked. The servants follow a Suffering-Servant King. They look to make a covenant family and hope for a new creation. If we rely on God as dads, our weaknesses will become strengths, our exhaustion will turn to rest, and that faint feeling will not have us fall—but we’ll walk a million more miles. God’s power can change you. Seeing God’s power change you can change your wife, your kids, and a world that needs to see God—especially in the tough times.
Question: What are you waiting for? Are you waiting well? Tell us on twitter @manhoodjourney or you can always email us.
Your mission in tough times as a dad
Sometimes God calls us to wait. Maybe you’re waiting for a new job or for the end of this pandemic. The good news is that while we’re waiting, God gives us strength to run and not grow weary, to walk and not faint. Watch this video for more encouragement as a dad.
