Learning to wait well is essential for any follower of Christ, but especially for a leader. For ministry leaders, waiting can feel especially frustrating. You cast vision, sow faithfully, pray hard, and still, growth feels slow. Results don’t match the effort—momentum stalls. And in the silence, questions start to rise: Did I miss something? Is God still in this? Am I doing enough?
But here’s the truth: waiting isn’t a detour in leadership—it’s part of the process. And in God’s hands, it’s one of the most powerful tools for shaping not just ministries, but the hearts of the ones leading them.
Isaiah 40:31 reminds us:
“Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles…”
Waiting isn’t weakness. It’s where strength is renewed.
In leadership, it’s tempting to equate progress with activity. But sometimes, the most faithful thing we can do is stop trying to move things forward in our own strength and instead press deeper into the Lord. Because ultimately, your calling isn’t to produce outcomes—it’s to walk closely with Him.
Take Abraham and Sarah. They had a clear promise from God, but no timeline. So, they acted out of impatience, which brought years of unnecessary pain. Ministry leaders can fall into a similar trap: filling the silence with noise, launching programs when God is asking for prayer, or forcing fruit when He’s focused on roots.
Seasons of waiting reveal what truly drives us. Are we motivated by calling or by pressure? Do we trust God’s leading, or are we trying to manage appearances and look good to others? Sometimes God slows things down to deal with what’s going on in us before He moves through us.
Never forget, like Colorado, leadership has its seasons. Not every season is a time to harvest. Some seasons are like winter—quiet, hidden, slow. But even winter has a purpose. Roots grow deep. Soil rests. Snow gathers what will feed future growth. Waiting seasons are not lost seasons.
So what do we do in the meantime?
- Stay rooted in Scripture and prayer—not just for sermon prep, but for your soul.
- Lead from presence, not pressure.
- Invest in people, not just projects.
- Let your identity be grounded in Christ, not in your role or your results.
You don’t have to have everything figured out. Faithful leadership isn’t about rushing to the next thing—it’s about remaining steady in the current one, even when it doesn’t look like much is happening.
God often does His deepest work in leaders when it seems like nothing is moving. Don’t despise the slow seasons. Steward them. He’s preparing you—and your ministry—for what’s next.
Waiting doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re trusting.
And that might be the most powerful leadership move you make all year.
