Confession time: I love bananas.
Plain, in a smoothie, on a bowl of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, in ice cream, fruit salad (it’s not fruit salad without them!) and frozen, dipped in chocolate.
But I love ripened bananas. Not overly ripened either. I hate mush. They have to be just right. Not too soft not too hard and definitely, never green!
If you eat green bananas you must surely be an impatient sort of individual. That taste is something a banana has all to itself; it just makes you cringe inside.
Sometimes we cannot wait that extra day for the banana to ripen. We got up wanting it, hungered for it all day and looked forward to that special sweet treat.
Isn’t life that same way? Our inability to wait causes so much trouble in our lives. We want to take a bite of that green banana hoping that the inside will be different than what is showing on the outside. If we have it all figured out by now shouldn’t God?
We spend so much of our time worrying, fretting and trying to explain to God how things should be done.
Do we ever stop to think how silly it might sound to tell the creator of the universe how to solve a problem?
He has our best interest in mind for every situation; His Word declares it to be so.
Alas, the human will senses it must be in control. If I want that green banana now, even though it isn’t going to taste as good as it would if I would wait another day…I eat it anyway. Then I pay for my impatience.
Look at Saul in the book of 1 Samuel:
“He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. So he said, ‘Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.’ And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him. ‘What have you done?’ asked Samuel. Saul replied, ‘When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.’ ‘You acted foolishly,’ Samuel said. ‘You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.’ 1 Samuel 13:8-14.
Saul took things into his own hands. He thought he knew better! But Samuel tells him he was foolish. He broke the commandment of the Lord and look what it cost him: his kingdom could have been established over Israel forever. God turned to David, the shepherd boy.
Saul lost a blessing; a legacy that could have been his but instead went to another. All because he could not wait!
What are you waiting on today? Is it a new job, an opportunity for advancement, a relationship, something that you desire or think you need to have right now?
Can it wait until God says it is ripened? Until it is completed and right for you?
Can you wait?
“So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.” Genesis 29:20.
Good things come to those who wait…no, that isn’t scripture but the above one is. Jacob waited another seven years to marry the one he really loved. Seven years?! And he had already served seven before that.
The Bible does say, “In your patience possess ye your souls.” Luke 21:19.
Give God some credit in your life. Let Him work out the details. Sit back and relax knowing He is in control and wants only the best for you.
And don’t eat green bananas; they will give you a bellyache!
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Hi Jason, I apologize I just now saw your post. I also apologize if I offended you in any way. I truly was not trying to bait and switch readers.
My blog is a Christian encouragement website to be sure and not one that offers nutritional advice. I was trying to make an analogy about patience; I understand perfectly that some like green bananas and that is great! My post wasn’t really about bananas but more about being in an unsure waiting place and trusting God that He May have something even better for us although I may not have done the best job in getting that across.
Thank you again for stopping by and taking the time to comment. I will honestly take it to heart when choosing my titles. Blessings,
Nannette
Why are we bringing religion into nutrition? I came to your website because I saw the meme you created saying never to eat green bananas thinking you knew something that I didn’t. Instead of learning some nutritional science I go on to see a bunch of bible verses. My understanding here is that you’re trying encourage patience and discipline and the only real reason for saying not to eat green bananas is that they (to you) taste bad and give you a bellyache. I eat a pretty green banana at least once a week. It’s a great source of resistant starch that makes it’s way all the way down to the colon where it ferments into short chain fatty acids like buterate that are a great source of fuel for your beneficial gut microbiome that create the protective mucosal layer of your intestines. If you want to inspire people with religious stuff and encourage discipline that’s all good but don’t do it at the expense of giving your readers poor nutritional advice.
Great lesson – impatience is a common foe….. Thank you for your explanation… now, my husband LIKES green bananas… I keep telling him they aren’t so good for him (actually I don’t tell him anymore… I do NOT want to be a nagging wife! 🙂 Thank you for the fun lesson. 🙂
I like bananas but unlike most people I like them just at that “moment” (b/c it truly isn’t longer than that) when they are turning from green to yellow and there isn’t a single spot of those little brown dots anywhere! Otherwise they are too mushy and sweet for me too, Nanette! But I do know what you mean about the taste of “green” bananas. And that’s a great analogy for waiting on God’s timing. I’m guilty of impatiently taking a bite before God makes things ripe so this is a good reminder for me today. Excuse me while I go find a “just right” banana now! 😉
Good analogy. Thanks for sharing!
My niece likes bananas best with just a little green on them, but definitely not totally green like in your photo!
Thanks for your story about Saul. I love applying scriptures to my daily lives and I definitely could use some more patience about when things will happen! I think when we are too impatient for the future to just be here already, we miss out on the great, unique things that are happening now.
Great advise. Thanks, Martha
Nanette,
How true it is that we often miss God’s best because we “take matters into our own hands” and choose what we think we have to have without waiting on Him!
Donna
I’m pretty horrible at waiting too Megan. Love how you said He can make it bearable. ♥
Ha, didn’t mean to trick you Belinda! So happy you got something out of it and I would be interested to see your kids’ take on it. Great idea! Thank you for sharing.
I am the same way Sharon. But I don’t want to miss what He is trying to do IN me. Bless you!!
He is still taking me too, Carol. Thank you for commenting!
Nannette, I have eaten a few green bananas in my lifetime. It is so true, we miss out on the bigger blessing had we only waited. Much wisdom in this post!
Patience is something that I am always in need of, I am just plain awful at waiting. This was a wonderful analogy and reminder of how He can make the waiting bearable and filled with love.
Great opening… and analogy. I was reading along hoping to find out what would be so terribly wrong about eating green bananas! I am going to put this one aside to share with my kids over the weekend. Great conversation starter – it applies to so many teenage / young adult issues (not exclusively of course, as I’m thinking of areas in my own life too) but my head space is thinking about encouraging teens/young adults as they seek their own path in life. Thanks for the great read.
Can I wait? That’s a good question. Most of the time I am not a good *waiter* – mostly because waiting causes so much anxiety in me. I want things to work out – my way, my time. Bring on those green bananas…
But, we lose much when we try to rush the Lord’s timing. And one of the things we miss out on is the work that He wants to do when we are tested. It takes time to ripen the *fruit of the Spirit* – time for the delicious flavor of a Spirit-filled life to develop.
OK, no green bananas…
GOD BLESS!
Love the analogy of eating green bananas for not having enough patience. This is a journey that God is still taking me through!
That’s two now that like green bananas, lol. We will have to stick with the spiritual for you, ha. Isn’t it funny that we are all so different, and yet that is good! I could also use more patience. You shared some powerful words! Thank you so much for stopping by!
Personally, I do like my bananas a little green. Ripe is almost barely passable for me to eat without gagging. Interestingly related to patience here, yet I see your point clearly.
Patience really is something I could use ever more work on in my daily life. Also, I have reaped some beautiful benefits from being settled, even if I wasn’t previously patient! 🙂
Stopping over from Mommy Moments Monday!
I’m very picky about my bananas, as well. Patience is a tough one for me so I appreciate the reminder that it is all in His perfect hands! Thank you.