Waiting on God is one of the hardest things we are called to do. We feel the pull, the urgency, the sense that something is shifting, and everything in us wants to move now. But purpose is not just about knowing where God is leading. It is about trusting when He says go and when He says wait. That tension is where faith is tested and where calling is truly formed.
On a recent episode of the Path to Purpose podcast, Pastor David Lindell sat down with Pastor Jabin Chavez for a candid and deeply practical conversation about calling, leadership and learning to follow God’s timing. What unfolded was not just teaching. It was testimony. Chavez opened up about his own journey of waiting on the Lord and the lessons that shaped everything he is building today.
Calling Does Not Mean Move Now
Chavez did not rush into his calling. In fact, he did the opposite.
He shared that what eventually became City Light Church in Las Vegas started with a desire that took years to unfold. “From the start of when you were thinking about praying about a city… three years,” he said, laying out the timeline that many would not expect in a culture obsessed with instant results.
Three years of prayer. Three years of processing. Three years of not jumping ahead.
That is where many of us struggle. We feel something from God and assume it must happen immediately. But Chavez’s story makes it clear. Calling often comes early. Timing comes later.
If It Feels Rushed, It Is Not God
One of the most direct and powerful lessons he shared cuts straight through the noise.
“Almost anytime I’ve been rushed about anything, it’s not God,” Chavez said.
That hits home.
We live in a world that rewards speed. Move fast. Decide now. Don’t miss your moment. But God does not operate under pressure. He is not in a hurry, and He does not need us to be either.
Chavez explained that instead of forcing decisions, he learned to step back and trust the process. “Let’s just wait another year,” he said, describing the posture that shaped his journey.
That is not weakness. That is wisdom.
Order Jonathan Cahn’s New Book, “The Altar of Pergamon” on Amazon.com!
Peace Is the Indicator
So how do we know when it is time?
Chavez pointed to something many of us have felt but have not always understood. Peace.
“All of a sudden, the peace lifts. That’s the no,” he said.
It is not complicated. When we are walking closely with God, there is a steady sense of peace. When something is off, that peace disappears. That is the signal.
He described it as a “knowing… a deep call,” something internal that grows stronger over time.
This is how we move forward without fear. Not guessing. Not forcing. But following the peace of God step by step.
Waiting Requires Submission
Chavez’s testimony is not just about waiting. It is about how he waited.
When he first sensed God calling him to plant a church, he did not act on it alone. He brought it to his pastor and submitted it to spiritual authority.
“I believe the Lord spoke to me… I’m submitting that to you,” he said.
He refused to play the “God told me” card to force the issue. Instead, he stayed humble, patient and open to guidance.
He was told to wait. So he waited.
He was told to revisit it later. So he revisited it later.
“I’m not doing anything without your blessing,” he said.
That kind of posture is rare, and it is powerful. Because real calling is not just about being called. It is about being sent.
God Builds in the Hidden Seasons
Even after clarity came, Chavez and his wife did not move immediately.
“Fourteen months from the time we felt Vegas to the time we moved,” he explained.
More waiting. More prayer. More confirmation.
That is what we have to understand. The hidden seasons are not delays. They are preparation.
God is building something in us before He builds something through us.
Don’t Be Afraid to Wait
Chavez addressed something many of us quietly wrestle with. The fear of missing God.
“I think a lot of people fear missing the will of God,” he said.
But that fear does not come from the Lord.
If we are walking with Him, staying in His Word, living in obedience, He is more than able to redirect us. He is not trying to hide His will from us. He is guiding us into it.
And sometimes that guidance looks like waiting.
A Word for Us
This conversation lands right where we all live.
We feel the call. We sense the shift. We want to move. But God is asking us to trust Him in the process.
We do not need to rush. We do not need to force doors open. We do not need to panic about missing our moment.
What we need to do is stay close to Him.
Follow His peace. Honor the voices He has placed in our lives. Trust that His timing is not late.
Chavez’s story reminds us of something we all need to hear. Purpose is not proven by how fast we move. It is revealed by how faithfully we wait.
And when we do, when we truly surrender the timing to Him, we step into something far greater than anything we could have forced on our own.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
