Purpose in the Pause

Spiritual Skill: Patience (wk. 10/13)

Reading: 2 Peter 3:1-9

I’m working on increasing my pause squat. A pause squat is the ability to drop to the bottom position of a squat under heavy load and hold that bottom position for a long period prior to coming back to the top. The pause is a type of patience that we all must learn to manage. Patience in our faith is holding the tension of the pause to align us more deeply with God’s purpose.

I’m currently able to load 315 lbs on the bar and sit at the bottom position for around 50 seconds. The skill of increasing a pause squat is being able to maintain passive tension in the hips with active tension in the spine and diaphragm.

Patience is the skill of managing active and passive tension. 

Patience in our faith looks entirely similar. We must hold tension in some areas and remain passive in other areas. If we think patience means doing “nothing,” we are missing God’s purpose for the pause. It is both active and passive. If you feel you have been called to a bigger ministry the pause may be in developing skills in writing, public speaking, or building messages that resonate with a wider audience. All while also being okay not immediately hopping on every stage that is made available to you. The tension of the pause is understanding where to direct our energy while we wait and trusting God’s timing.

A few times people have attempted to come assist me out of the bottom position of the squat, thinking I am stuck. I have to explain that I am there for a reason. It’s understandable to be confused. Not many people spend that much time, with that much load, in that position.

People will often be confused by our patience.

Patience in our faith also means sitting with the discomfort of other peoples’ lack of understanding of what we are waiting on. They’ll want to see progress that they understand. Progress that matches their expectations. Whether it is in the funds raised for “the mission,” the testimonies of the people whose lives have been changed, or any other outward metric. Leaning into God’s plan for our lives might not be reflected in the praise or affirmation of people around us.

The early church wrestled with patience too. At the time, they believed that they were waiting on Christ’s second coming within their lifetime. They felt the pressure in their patience too. They received ridicule and open mockery for their faith.

In 2 Peter 3:4, “They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?”

They were being tied to others’ expectations of how long to expect it to happen. We too often tie God’s work to our own timelines. But the author of 2 Peter reminds us that the nature of God is outside of our understanding of time.

2 Peter 3:8, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”

The timeless nature of God is confusing but also inspiring. What more can God do with the little time we have been given? It is out of this idea that it is not our patience with God but HIS patience with US. We must be active in the waiting. We must be active in preparation, refining our trust in Him, and awareness of where we still need growth.

2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

The purpose of the pause is to bring our awareness to alignment with God. The tension is that we are actively “waiting.” The tension is confusing to others but becomes our super power to remain faithful in the waiting. Patience is the skill of sitting in the tension.

Questions for Reflection:

When was there a time you can look back on where patience was needed? How did you handle it?

What is an area you can apply more patience in your life today?