I have zero problems admitting I was a die hard fan of Professional Wrestling for several years of my adolescent life. My brothers and I loved the WCW (World Championship Wrestling), my favorite wrestlers were Sting, Goldberg, and Diamond Dallas Page. We would cut out cardboard versions of the belts, create a ring in our living room, or at church in the youth room, and battle it out. We were hopped up on Surge and hardcore Christian rock. I didn’t believe in Santa, I believed in the Four Horsemen and the NWO.
Now as much as I loved watching the soap opera of modern-day titans unfold every week... reality slowly crept in and the luster faded. It was entertaining, but when you realize the stakes aren’t what they seem, suddenly your conscience isn’t fooled as easily anymore.
Compare this with martial arts or hand-to-hand combat training and you suddenly realize what a fight is really like. Wrestling an opponent to submission is a whole lot different than acrobatics and a 1-2-3 pin. It is intense, personal, and usually a hard-learned lesson, even when you’re simply training. There’s no script, there’s no choreography, it is two opponents giving everything they have for a split second of advantage in order to defeat the other.
Wrestling with God
In Genesis 32:22-32, we are in the middle of Jacob’s story. Jacob, the son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham, is sleeping alone next to a river.
*Note that a lot has happened in Jacob’s life up to this point, and it’s important to know his whole story. So if you are unfamiliar with it I recommend giving it a read.*
While Jacob is sleeping we get a somewhat bizarre exchange where some “person” comes to wrestle Jacob. They seem to be evenly matched, as the fight goes on until sunrise. The assailant then damages Jacob’s hip to gain the upper hand. Jacob probably realizes he’s losing control and he hangs on even tighter. The mystery man tells Jacob to let go and Jacob agrees, but only if the man blesses him. So clearly Jacob has realized something that we don’t, because that is a terrible tactic for winning a fight.
Then, the man asks Jacob his name, to which he answers, and in response the man gives Jacob a new name: Israel, “Because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” (Gen 32:28)
Now hopefully you have a decent translation or study Bible, because it turns out that this person wasn’t a person at all but was actually the Lord himself (further evidenced in Hosea 12:3-5). What I want to point out is in verse 31 we see that Jacob now has a limp from what God did to his hip while they wrestled. Jacob would forever be changed from this interaction.
Well, it seems we’re left with more questions than answers. By no stretch am I a Bible scholar, but as I consider what this could mean and what benefit it is to me, one possibility sticks out like a sore hip:
When God comes to wrestle, you will come away changed and humbled.
(and pray you escape with only a limp)
He wants to test your strength - strength of conviction, strength of understanding, strength of humility, etc. This is obviously a more abstract or metaphorical viewpoint, but it seems that’s implied in the text as well when God points out that, yes Jacob literally just wrestled with God, he has also been wrestling with humans his whole life. Again, acquaint yourself with the whole story to get the most out of this.
Conclusion
Currently our Community Group is covering a study that entails reframing the way we think about the Bible, its audience, translation, and meanings. The study itself is incredibly interesting but also very challenging. This is evidenced by how many times we have all said at one point or another, “I’m really going to wrestle with this.” Which I would say is pretty common church-jargon for illustrating the struggle we face when confronted with a new way of thinking or behaving.
One time, after hearing a member of our CG use the phrase “wrestle with”, I thought of the clever response, “and hopefully you’ll come away with a limp.” In reference to the limp Jacob received from the Lord.
But I’m afraid that I tend to treat my spiritual “wrestling” like the superstars of Professional Wrestling. Oftentimes it feels like a choreographed drama, a rote pantomime of deep internal struggle, discovery, and repentance. It’s tidy. And even though it looks and truly feels like a battle, I know that in the end I’ll lose so let’s just cut to the chase and I’ll take some notes and try harder next time. When I should be allowing myself to contend with the most difficult parts of living for the Lord and serving others. God already knows He has the answer, what He wants is for me to see that his strength is better than mine, he wants me to see that my best formulated arguments or beliefs will always need to be tweaked or strengthened.
While I’m forming my own personal beliefs and principles, God may come and give me a shot at the title, pitting my conclusions against his inescapable truth. Thank goodness that He does this! This is loving guidance.
Consider the words of a prominent psychotherapist as summarized: We should want to bring forth our theories and ideas to the scrutiny of truth, even if, or even because, they can be smashed to bits.
I should prefer that a faulty belief be tested and scrutinized before it becomes a behavior, a habit, or a part of my character. If I’m wrong then let me find out sooner rather than later. I think of the words of David in Psalm 139:23-24:
“Search me, God, and know my heart;
Test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.”
Note
It may be implied, but I want to point something out just in case. Jacob did receive the limp, an injury, but he also received a blessing. Personally, I don’t read this story as some sort of punishment or correction against Jacob, but simply a hard lesson to strengthen his already improving character.
I say this because for me, one of the reasons I avoid wrestling with God is because I’m afraid that I do need changing - It’s like avoiding an x-ray because I don’t want to know that my leg is broken. I feel that if God has to change something it means that I’ve been doing something bad or sinful and then He’ll punish me. So I have to remember that The Almighty will always have something to change, and it’s in His graciousness that He gives me time to learn, adopt, and adapt His way into mine.
He is a good father and He understands us. Sometimes we get to test out our theories and ideas; then sometimes He’ll come by and wrestle with it. Afterwards we can move forward with a little more understanding, humility, confidence, and hopefully it will change the way we walk.