What is the most difficult word in our English language? No, I don’t think it is the title of this
blog entry—but I’ll explain that a little later. The most difficult word, in my humble
opinion, is the word wait. This tiny four-letter word seems to be our
most challenging nemesis from the earliest onset of childhood. As a baby you waited for feedings and diaper
changes. As a child you waited for
cookies to finish baking, parents to answer questions, school to start, school
to end, and you waited until you were “old enough” to do whatever it was you
thought so important at the time. Now that we are adults, we still wait. We wait in lines, wait for friends, and many
of us find ourselves waiting in doctors’ offices. Waiting is not always pleasant.
So what do you do when you are waiting?
I suppose the answer to that question depends largely on the need,
purpose, and duration of the waiting. Waiting briefly at a traffic light may
not require any action. Waiting for an
appointment might provide time for reflection, reading, working on crossword
puzzles, or similar brief activities. You
see, one form of waiting might be to remain inactive or in repose until the
expected event happens. This is okay for
short-term waiting.
However, waiting long-term is quite a bit different. Waiting for special days or special visits
can be particularly difficult. Long-term
waiting requires the kind of waiting for one to be available or in readiness;
to look forward to an event with eager anticipation. Long-term waiting requires an individual to
remain in an active state—in our day we might use the expression, “keep on
keeping on.” Doing what? Ah, that brings
us back to the title.
Floccinaucinihilipilification, n., the estimation of something
as valueless
In Latin, the words [flocci + nauci + nihili + pili] all indicate
something that is of little or no value; trifling. The suffix [-fication] refers to expressing
the state or condition of something. In simple terms, we have this enormous
word that literally means nothing. In terms of waiting,
floccinaucinihilipilification is a big waste of time doing absolutely nothing
of lasting value.
I have an idea of what you might be thinking. So how
in the world can this, in any way, remotely apply to me? The answer might
take a surprising twist for the Christian.
Look at it this way: What is the next special event for the Christian
that will require waiting, possibly even long-term waiting? Yes, the answer is the second advent of our Blessed
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” Psalm 27:14 (NIV)
“…while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ…” Titus 2:13 (NIV)
The truth is that none of us knows how much waiting this will
require. We do know that the Bible tells
us some folks will get tired of waiting, and give up on waiting altogether.
“Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.” 2 Peter 3:3-4 (NLT)
So what do we do while we are waiting for Jesus Christ to come again? I
would encourage you to fill your life with those things having value and
purpose. Even daily chores have value
and purpose. Encouraging one another has value and purpose. Working has value and purpose. Some of my
favorite passages with suggestions for what to do when waiting include:
“But this one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind [don’t waste time on the past] and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity…speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:15-16, 19-20 (NIV)“Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.” (and) “But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.” 2 Timothy 4:2 and 4:5 (NLT)
“Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.” 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (NLT)“And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. And remember, the Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved.” 2 Peter 3:14-15 (NLT)
Wow! That’s a lot to do, and if we truly believe that the return of
Jesus Christ is imminent (i.e., likely to occur at any moment), then we have so
little time left in which to work! If we
are to fill our waiting time with activities of value and purpose, then we have
no time to waste on floccinaucinihilipilification.
Respectfully submitted by:
Dotty Willmon, Resurrection Christian
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