We naturally like to make sense of the life we’ve been given. Or perhaps we have a strong desire for things to work out in a certain way. Either way, we might find ourselves regularly wrestling with God. And this is not a lack of faith per se, but often a sign of the closeness and intimacy we experience with God.
Sometimes we’re left wondering why things turned out the way they did. Why did God open some doors and close others? Why does our life seem so hard? And what do we do with the many challenges that mark our days?
And as these are often questions without answers, our pleading with God is simply to gain a bit more clarity and peace as we find our way forward.
At other times, we’re begging God for a certain outcome – for our loved one to be healed, for a relationship to be restored, for a personal breakthrough, or the like. Here we’re not wrestling with a lack of clarity; we know exactly what we want. But we also know this outcome is outside of our control. And so, we pray earnestly to the One able to make a difference.
Whether it’s to resolve our fears and anxieties, the deep longings of our heart, or simply to be blessed as only God can, wrestling with God is just part of what it means to be in relationship with him. His ways are not our ways. But he still invites us into an intimate relationship with him – allowing us to bring to him all our cares and concerns.
To be sure, it’s not doubt or a lack of faith to wrestle with God. In fact, it’s often a sign of our growing maturity to engage with him intentionally and passionately regarding the things important to us.
In the end, continue to bring all your worries and cares to God, even when this means you must wrestle with him. This wrestling is often a mark of your growing and deepening life together.
Photo by Andre Hunter on Unsplash
