From the moment of his birth throughout most of his life, Jacob “wrestled” with people – particularly his brother. He wrestled in order to position himself – that is, in order to get things the way he wanted them. It was his nature to wrestle with everyone he encountered before he finally wrestled with God. But after having his ultimate wrestling match with God – that is, after “wrestling for the blessing”, both his name and his nature were changed.
As we consider Jacob, hopefully we can come to the same revelation he came to: One should stop wrestling with people and start “wrestling for the blessing” with God, because only God can really give what every human heart desires – personal identity.
Each of us must “wrestle with God for the blessing” as Jacob did – an intensive seeking, believing, and receiving from God in a “face-to-face” encounter. This type of engagement with God gives us faith, enables us to “own” or “personalize” our God-given identity, and brings us into a “rest” – a spiritual place where we cease from our own works of putting forth an adopted persona and enter into a secure authenticity that only comes from finding your personal identity in Christ. (This article is an excerpt from the book “Wrestling for the Blessing”,