Wrestling with God

What is Stewardship? – Part 2

‘And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.  Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”  And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.”  Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.’ Genesis 32:24-28

Jacob wrestling with God in Genesis 32 is one of those intriguing stories in scripture. The idea that God (or a representative of God) would engage in a physical wrestle with Jacob throughout the night is bizarre. My first thoughts are that Jacob must have held his own quite well and that God could have taken him out at any time He wanted. God initiated this wrestle with Jacob, which is significant.

What does this have to do with Stewardship? 

Jacob was the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham. With his noble family heritage, he was a tricky character who, from what we learn of him, seemed to always be looking for the next opportunity to run an angle.

As Kevin Myers puts it; up until this point in Jacob’s life Jacob had lived his own way, pretending to be someone other than who he actually was and keeping God at a distance. For sure like you and me Jacob was glad to receive God’s favour if God would give it, but he didn’t want God to mess up his own agenda for his life. (my familiarity with this way of life is making me uncomfortable as I write these words)

Jacob’s life was changed forever from his up close and personal encounter with the living God. He was physically impaired and received a new name. The last time he was asked his name, he lied and used his brother’s name. With a new future and purpose that would, in line with God’s promises, impact the world, culminating in the coming of Jesus.

In the following generation, Jacob’s 11^th son, Joseph, would work through his own unique challenges that take him on a very different path to what Joseph thought his ‘life in technicolour’ would be, ultimately going on to become a great steward over Egypt.

What does this mean for Jacob as a steward of God?

The crux of all this is that Jacob came to the place where he realized that God didn’t owe him, He owned him.

For Jacob(and for you and me), that made all the difference.

We can only understand and truly live as stewards when we come to the place of complete dependence on and trust in God. Without that, we will continue with our own agenda as if we are the owners. It is the difference between a defeated and victorious life.

God wrestled with Jacob to both defeat him and to give him victory

Frederick Buechner writes in the Magnificent Defeat:

‘Power, success, happiness, as the world knows them, are his who will fight for them hard enough; but peace, love and joy are only from God. And God is the enemy whom Jacob fought there by the river, of course and whom in one way or another we all of us fight-God, the beloved enemy. Our enemy because, before giving us everything, he demands of us everything: he demands our lives – our selves, our wills our treasure’

What does God want to wrestle from you ?

Are there things that you are hanging on to that you simply can’t carry and need to give over to the one who can? Anxiety and depression, selfishness, addictions, guilt and shame, ownership and control of your life.

As Joyce Meyer says ….‘God will never permit you to be successful at becoming someone else.’

Connect with Him in His word and in prayer and as we read in Proverbs 3; “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths….”

Read Part 1 in this Blog Series on Stewardship

Nicholas Marks
CEO, aifc