By James L. Castellano

This expression gets tossed around with no regard for the destructive power it contains. In my opinion, those who use it do so to validate missing out on something or because they procrastinate.

This can be compared to the phrase, "Money is the root of all evil," which is equally destructive. Both have been shortened to produce a translation, which was not the desired intent. As we all should know, the complete message of the phrase above is, "for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. (1 Timothy 1:6, NIV)

As for waiting, this statement should be changed to..."good things come to those who are patient." There is a huge difference between the two words.

1. Waiting: to remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected happens
2. Patience: quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence:

Sitting around waiting for something to happen is not what God intended. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. (Hebrews 6:12, NIV)

Our time of patience should also be our season of great sowing. Here is a guideline I use to S.O.W. good seeds while God is working in my life.

1. S - Stand strong in my faith. I continually show my faithfulness through prayer and tithing.
2. O - Overcome. I resist the urge to take shortcuts or quit. This is where patience is a virtue. It is much easier to give up and place blame elsewhere. The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. (Ecclesiastes 7:8, NIV)
3. W - Work on myself. I grow in the word and continually look for ways to improve myself.

There is a period of time between sowing and reaping. How we use this time is critical. If we think we can reap an instant harvest, we are fooling ourselves. Seeds take time to grow, and this is where many lose their patience.

James 5:7 (NIV) states, "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.

As leaders, we must recognize where our teammates are in their season. We must be patient with them as God is with us. Although the sowing stage should never end, our goal as leaders is to help them reach the reaping stage. Seeing the fruits of their labors will keep them motivated.

Good things really do come to those who are patient and understand God's timing.

James authors the popular leadership blog, Leading The Way. You can participate in the daily discussions by visiting www.leadingisreading.blogspot.com.