The Wrestle

As a kid, I loved wrestling with my uncle. He was older, bigger, and smarter than I was. Often, he would place his hand on my forehead, hold me at a safe distance, and let me “swing” at him, even though I couldn’t even come close to making contact! Eventually, I would tire myself out, and then we got on with what was really important, just being together.

There comes a moment when God doesn’t just speak—He wrestles.

I don’t always like that part.

Because wrestling means resistance. It means tension. It means God is asking for something I’m not ready to give.

The Bible tells us that Jacob wrestled all night. Here it is:

“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, NIV)  

Jacob struggled, and in the end, he was honored, not because he was stronger than God, but because he refused to let go.

I’ve had moments like that. Moments where I knew God was calling me to surrender something—a label, a mindset, a piece of my identity—and I resisted.

Why?

Because even a broken name can feel familiar.

Sometimes we hold onto the wrong identity because we’re afraid of what happens if we let it go.

But God doesn’t wrestle to harm us—He wrestles to transform us. The tension you feel may actually be God inviting you into something deeper. The question is: will you stay in the wrestle? Will you be honest enough to say, “God, this is who I’ve been—but I don’t want to stay here”?

The breakthrough often comes right after the struggle. Listen to Jacob’s breakthrough: “The man asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘Jacob,’ he answered. Then the man said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.’” (Genesis 32:27-28, NIV)  

The lesson is simple: Don’t walk away too soon! You never know what name Jesus may have waiting for you! Let’s pray together:

“God, I feel the tension of letting go. There are things I’ve been holding onto—names, identities, beliefs—that You’re asking me to surrender. Give me the strength to stay in the wrestle and the courage to trust that what You have for me is better. In the name of Jesus. Amen.”

Never forget, my friend,

You are a miracle!