Wrestling With God
We are told in the Bible that Jacob wrestled with God, and although it may not be expressly stated, there are others in the Bible who wrestled with God in one way or another. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that we all have wrestled with God.
Maybe you’ve struggled with doubt and unbelief, or had trouble with a particular scripture or teaching. Maybe you wanted to go left when God said go right. And let’s just be honest, who of us hasn’t, at one time or another, accused God of not being fair? That is wrestling with God, and while it may sometimes be foolish, I believe it is often necessary. I also believe there is beauty in the struggling, in the wrestling.
As some of you know, and others have likely deduced, this has been my experience as of late. It’s not the first time I’ve wrestled with God, and I hope it won’t be the last. The details around this particular struggle are not relevant here, but suffice it to say there has been no small amount of confusion, bitterness, and even anger on my behalf. Maybe I’m not supposed to admit that, but I suspect if you wanted to read the thoughts of a spiritual superhero you wouldn’t be reading my blog to start with, so I’ll just be honest.
Now to the point of this post; God’s response. How does God wrestle? What is His strategy? Arm-bar? Rear-naked choke? The ol’ Hulk Hogan big boot and leg drop?
Certainly God has the power to strike me down, to do away with me for daring to question Him. He could respond like He did to Job; telling me to put my big-boy pants on and answer me out of a whirlwind. Perhaps He could prepare a great fish and have it swallow me up until finally, from the depths of hell, I submit. At the very least He’s gonna swing that big rod of correction that he always has “locked and loaded”, ready to strike at the slightest infraction. Right?
That’s not what I have found.
No, instead of using his hands to pummel and his feet to kick, I have found his hands open and reaching, his feet moving towards me.
Instead of condemnation His mouth has spoke both understanding and concern, and His ear has been open.
God, through his ever present body, has called, texted, listened and cared.
Jesus has sat with me over a plate of chicken wings and listened to me gripe and complain about every question and injustice I could think of.
Jesus has sat with me in the dark in the middle of the woods until midnight and struggled with - not against - me. He has opened his heart to me.
Jesus has invited me to dinner so we could discuss “nerd stuff”.
As if the outcome was ever in question, God has won. How can anyone resist? Yet He won without anger, without brute force, and even without crippling conviction. He won with love, mercy, forgiveness and compassion.
If you’re thinking those are strange tactics for a wrestling match, or a battle of any kind, you wouldn’t be the first to think that. The Jews in Jesus’ day thought the same thing, and many rejected Him for that very reason. To take it a step further, God has used these same methods to accomplish a lot more than gently helping one of His children. The victory that we love to sing and shout about was obtained by these very same means.
Because love wins.
God bless!
To those of you who have been His hands, feet, mouth, ears and heart, please, keep doing that. Do it for everyone you come in contact with. It makes a difference.
Photo credit to Gloumouth1 from Wikimedia Commons.
