24 So Jacob was left alone, and a Man [came and] wrestled with him until daybreak.
Genesis 32:24
I was reminded again about the nature of struggling. Truth be told, none of us desire to struggle in life and we will almost go out of our way to ensure that we help our children not to struggle.
But as I was reading this passage of scripture, looking at the fact that Jacob was wresting with the Lord Himself, it dawned on me again… Struggles form part of God’s plan for our lives. Yes… God will let you struggle and He does it with this purpose in mind – Your growth and maturity.
As parents, we do our children a great injustice when sparing them from life’s struggles. Whether it is something as simple as tying their shoe laces for them, just to spare both them and ourselves the frustration, or dealing with life’s many obstacles. These struggles have to be overcome by them.
One has to realise that your child will have to learn how to deal with these struggles, to master them so that they may grow and mature. God, our Heavenly Father, doesn’t take away our struggles, He navigates us through them. If our Heavenly Father, who by definition is all that is good, refuses to take away our struggles, maybe we need to switch our perspective when facing them.
What am I saying? Believe it or not, your struggles are not a curse, but in fact are the key in shaping your life; helping you become the man / women He has called you (and me) to become. It’s all about the end goal with God.
Over the many years of growing up, it has been the struggles, and not getting what I always wanted, that taught me to appreciate where I find myself and all I have today. To give thanks with a grateful heart to my Heavenly Father for blessing and shaping me through it all. And not just for the things I have, but the many milestones I have been able to reach.
We are so quick to despise a moment of struggle, frustrations and anger run high, instead of seeing the potential God is able to see that will come from just such a moment. Many of us will consider throwing in the towel before we even start, others might wrestle a bit before giving up because of tiredness.
May I encourage you today to be like Jacob. Who despite being tired, alone, hard-pressed by the fact that Esau laid before him and Laban behind him, he continued to wrestle and he did not let go or give up when bringing the matter before the Lord.
While God might not take away the situation, He will be there to guide you through it. If you are willing to push through and not give up, He will bless your efforts.
We are all children, wrestling with something we wish we didn’t have too. Be reminded of the fact that just as a small child has to overcome something as simple as tying shoelaces, so God desires us to overcome the very thing we are struggling with right now.
Believe me when I say… you and I are well capable of doing just that. In the end we will count it as a blessing for persevering, and will give thanks and glory to our Heavenly Father.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father. What I am facing / wrestling right now might not be something I would want to wrestle with. In fact, a great part of me would always wish it away. Guide me through my struggles and shape me so that I may become the person you have called me to be – the victor in Christ Jesus. I pray this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen