One More Round...

Wrestling With God.

That's what this weekend's Sermon was about. Just a perfectly timed message. What I loved about it was when our guest speaker mentioned that "wrestling with God isn't that we are wrestling with a person or situation. That our fight isn't with something, but that we are actually wrestling with God because he wants to teach us something and bless us." We talked about Jacob wrestling with God and how he went rounds all night and kept toe to toe. Instead of giving up he kept saying, "Bless me."

I need to ask God to do that so bad.

I am wrestling with God on a number of things, but instead of getting upset or thinking I need to be in control to get to where I need (or think I should be) I need to just wrestle and not lose focus on who I am wrestling with. I need to realize it isn't in vain. I am wrestling with God because he wants to teach me something good, bless me with invaluable information and growth, and that I will miss it if I KEEP TRYING TO MAKE A WAY OUT OF THE STRUGGLE MYSELF.

I need to remember the points that were mentioned. #1: There comes a time where at some point we have to wrestle with God alone. #2: It's in the wrestle with God that we receive revelation about our true identity and step away from the situation we are allowing to define us. The situation/person that we are allowing to identify us. #3: Once you wrestle with God you will forever be changed. Never to be the same again.

I want to keep such a hold on the wrestling match that God has to tell me to let go because it is daybreak but I do not want the wrestling to end until God blesses me out of it! Just like Jacob.

So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." Genesis 32:24-26

I have to stop trying to wrestle free and start wrestling for the workout. For the blessing, learning, and growth. I have to stop wrestling and trying to get free so I can control the situation or person. All I am then doing is allowing lies to speak over me and define me.

"Because you haven't done..."

"Because you don't have..."

"Because you have failed here..." 

The lies continue if we wrestle to try and change those lies ourselves. If we remember that there is a reason we haven't done, don't have, and maybe failed in an area that maybe it's because we missed looking for the lesson and that God is wrestling with us for our good. OUR good. We may have stepped out to figure it out on our own, or that we were chasing the wrong dream and God is stopping the path because even though we think we are supposed to be one place he wants us to stay for OUR good. The wrestling never feels good, but there is a reason. A lesson. A blessing.

There are countless scenarios that the wrestling could be taking place and there is something everyone is wrestling with God with... I guess my point is that I need to remember to stop thinking I am wrestling with a situation/person and stop being frustrated at the rounds I keep feeling I enter the ring for.

I won't get knocked down.

I will keep going toe to toe and I will keep remembering that it's God I am wrestling with and when he wins... I win. 

The wrestle isn't going to leave me feeling like I'm failing. I win in so many ways by changing my view, my approach to who it really matters to and rest in the fact I am growing and learning from the Father. He loves me, and I am his child. He is teaching me and I want his blessing. What better trainer in the ring would you want?

I WILL NOT LET GO OF THE WRESTLE UNLESS HE BLESSES ME.

Even if the blessing is opposite of what I think it should be.

Because anything from God is a blessing... even more special when he shows his might that he is right and that keeping me where I am is for my own good. The growth that will come is going to be so beautiful and it'll shape/train me for the next wrestling match.

I'm ready to keep up the wrestling match. I will not waver and match God, seek God, and ask him to reveal to me what lies I am allowing to define me. I will seek his blessing and grow in all the training he is shaping me in.

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

When I want the struggle to end and I want God to stop I need to remember there he is training and wrestling with me for my own good.

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 

Artist: BarlowGirl
Title: One More Round
Album: How Can We Be Silent

Songtext:

Round one wasn't what I thought it'd be
Round two I'm struggling to breathe
3, 4, 5, 6, 7 times I wondered why I stepped inside this ring

I may be knocked down and so bruised
But I'm here to tell you
I may be knocked down but not for the count

1,2,3,4
So take me one more round
I'll just keep fighting
One more round
You're messing me up but I'm still here
One more round I'll come out swinging
One more round I'm telling ya now I'm not going to lose it here

It's so hard to get above the floor again
But I now that victory is when
I'm pushing through the pain that tries to feed me lies that I wont reach the end

I may be bloodied and so bruised
But I'm here to tell you
I may be knocked down but not for the count
1,2,3,4
So take me one more round ill just keep fighting one more round
You're messing me up but I'm still here
One more round
I'll come out swinging
One more round
I'm telling ya now I am not going to lose it

I am not defeated
Though you cannot see it
I have never won a battle on my own
I find strength in weakness
I find hope believing
God is for me who can bring me down?

So take me one more round
I'll just keep fighting

One more round
You're messing me up but Oh, I'm still here
One more round
I'll come out swinging one more round
I'm telling you now I'm not gonna lose it here