Waiting can be reeeaaaalllly difficult: like little kids going to get ice cream, asking, 'Are we there yet?' every 26.83 seconds. It's hard to accept that the destination exists when we're in the middle of the journey, and all we can see is the next 10 metres of road. When the kids finally get there though, the ice cream was worth every second they had to wait. In fact, they've most likely forgotten that they were ever waiting.

Trusting God and putting our faith in him, even when we can't even see past the next turn, is hard to do. But the psalmist talks about the outcome of trusting in God: 'He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand' (Psalm 40:1-2 NIV). Actually, let's read all of Psalm 40!

Yes, life will be like driving long distance sometimes. We'll get confused, itchy with impatience, exhausted. But when the answer comes, when the waiting period is over, God lifts us out of our cramped quarters, freshens us up and puts solid ground under our feet again.

So what now? Is there a promise of God you're waiting for to be fulfilled? While waiting, follow Peter's lead: 'Add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love' (2 Peter 1:5 NIV).

Wouldn't it be amazing if we wanted to fix something and could snap our fingers and... bam!... it's fixed! We'd all rather get things done first time, and quickly.

All through the Bible, God tells many people to wait. Many! What does this short one-syllable word even mean? We'd say that 'wait' means 'to remain in a place of expectation'. It's not a passive, thumb-twiddling state. We're expectant and hopeful that something is going to take place. It's a time to work with God. If we're patient, he can prepare us for what's ahead.

The Psalmist said to be brave and courageous. Waiting can take real courage and faith. Everyone else may be jumping from one thing to the next, but being still, trusting and waiting on God in a state of expectation, is bravery. It's bravery because we're making ourselves vulnerable before God. We're telling him that he can do whatever he needs to do in us, to prepare us for the next step.

We may not be able to fathom what God has in store for us (in fact, if he told us immediately, we may not handle it because we're not ready). So, let's be patient... and wait. Let's be brave. Let's seek God's face and be open to him working so he can prepare us. When our answer comes, we'll be ready and at peace.

So what now? Do you have unanswered prayers? Pray about them, but focus on talking to God about what he's going to teach you while you're waiting.

We've all known times when it's easier to complain than go the other way and build someone up. So, some practical steps we can take:

Step one: Choose gratitude. Even if it means forcing ourselves to focus on positives rather than negatives, let's choose it. If we think hard, there'll be at least one thing that's positive. Let's practise appreciating where we are in life instead of where we'd rather be. Step two: Encourage first. Let's go out of our way to infuse encouragement before complaining happens. When we're with a group of friends and someone starts complaining, it's easy to follow suit and add our gripes to the mix. Let's rather set a culture of being positive in those chats, to nip unnecessary, addictive complaining in the bud. Final step: Learn to let go. Tackling our moaning means we'll grow: 'They were patient when they suffered unjustly' (James 5:10 GWT).

Keeping a positive grateful attitude isn't easy. It only comes if we discipline ourselves to be positive. 1 Thessalonians 5:14 (NLT) should be our model for handling any little or big niggles: 'Warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone'. Attitude is key: choose gratitude, encourage first, learn to let go.

So what now? Time for a complain-fast. Next time you catch yourself about to speak negatively about someone, stop. Instead, find a way to be encouraging about that person.

When Jesus healed a blind man, he met some surprising - to us - opposition (see John 9). Before Jesus healed the man, his disciples were so keen to find someone or something to blame for the man's problems. Was he blind because of his own or his parents' sins (see John 9:2)? Unlike the society around him, Jesus wasn't looking to blame the man or his family; he was only concerned with healing him. So that's what he did. But then the Pharisees got in on the act (John 9:16). Since they had their own strict, worked-out ideas on exactly what was and wasn't important to God, they were quick to judge Jesus (who, actually, was God... umm, awkward) for not agreeing with what they expected.

Sometimes, it seems we can't please anyone... Know the feeling? But how does Jesus respond? He keeps calm and, more importantly, keeps his centrepoint of love. Despite all that went down in John 9, nothing fazed him, because he knew that he did what his Father wanted.

When we're pushing closer to God, we can know we have purpose. Then, because we know he's with us, we have confidence to answer our critics with a (loving) smile that says,

'I know what I'm doing. God has given me all I need to succeed.'

So what now? Going through something that's bringing opposition? Make time today to bring it before God. Ask: 'Am I defending this because of what I want or because you are in it?' Take as long as you need to chat about any opposition you get with him.

There's a challenge where we look at a really zoomed-in picture of something and try to guess what it is. At first, the picture is of pointless blobs of colour and confusing shapes; then we zoom out and realise it's a dog or a ferris wheel. When we want to follow Jesus and change the world, it may feel a bit like that. We're trying our hardest to live for God and show others his love, but it feels like it's not going anywhere. We read our Bible and tell people about Jesus but it's all still feels like blobs of colour and indistinguishable shapes.

If we look at what we do on its own then, just like the zoomed-in picture, it probably doesn't look clear. God's vision is that zoomed-out realisation. On our own, we may feel like the dog's nostril or the electric lights on the ferris wheel, but when we zoom out we realise that our random, 'insignificant' bits fit into God's big picture. This gives us purpose. Our human efforts and dreams become powerful when added into the mix of God's plan.

If our efforts have a focus on God, they are never wasted. If we pray that our plans fit more and more into God's purposes, then we'll see something glorious.

So what now? If you're feeling a bit frustrated about where you fit, tell God. Be honest about your feelings, and ask him for his 'zoomed out' view. Thank him that you are part of his wonderful plan for the world.

When God directs our dreams, we live in a way we never could otherwise:

(1) We'll be passionate and ready to go. Being part of God's massive vision for the world is a good reason to get out of bed. We each have a valuable part to play in God's vision. This is exciting stuff, and the truth is, the passion the world has to offer - romance, success, fame - doesn't have anything on Jesus' passion.

(2) We'll gain clarity on our God-direction. Having our life directed towards God's vision is an amazing way to live. Our go-to thought is, 'Does X, Y or Z decision bring me closer to God? No? It's probably not the right thing then.' Let's ask God to make his direction clear for us.

(3) We'll know what to do with our God-given direction. Have we ever got something we really wanted, and realised it wasn't that great after all? The latest phone? A promotion at work? None of these things give us purpose if they're not dedicated to, and used by, God. This is how Jesus is different to the world; he gives true meaning and direction. With God's vision, our life matters. He has things for us to do. Let's follow him.

So what now? Ask yourself: 'What makes me passionate, ready to go?' Could that be part of God's plan for your life? Do something practical today to begin running after it.