Dave’s Monday Blast – July 8, 2019
MEN OF INTENTION
Good Morning Men of Intention,
I recently read an article entitled “The Benefit of Brokenness” by Dr. Steve Graves. Graves writes a weekly blog on leadership. In Genesis 32 we read the story of the confrontation between Jacob and a “Mysterious Man.” For two hours they wrestled without a clear winner until the man “touches” Jacob’s hip dislocating it and essentially ending the competition. An exchange between the two leads to the man blessing Jacob, but leaving him with a limp from that day forward.
If you are familiar with the story of Jacob, you know that he always found a way to come out on top. The Hebrew meaning of his name is “to supplant or circumvent or assail or overreach.” His methods typically reflected his name branding. But now he has come up against an opponent he cannot beat with any method and as a result Jacob is broken…but he is better because of it.
What is a limp? Graves comments: ” A limp is a scar that comes from getting in the ring with God. A limp is a spiritual, emotional, mental, and even physical (at times) recognition that we are not the supreme agent of life. The faster I can learn that I don’t know all, can’t do all, and am not completely the person I need to be…the better.” Brothers, have you gone through a moment or a season where you realized, as Jacob did, that you do not have the amount of control that you thought you did?
Graves continues: “A friend of mine says that the issue for every person is, ‘Who has the right to rule?’ Jacob was wrestling with God over who was in charge. He had spent years ruling his own life, and it seemed to be working. He did what most people won’t admit is true about themselves…he acted as if he didn’t need God.” Can you relate my friends?
Perhaps you, too, spent years winning at most everything in life and then, all of a sudden it was gone. Maybe you suffered an illness that caused you to consider your mortality. Maybe a business venture failed, your marriage fell apart, or your kids did not turn out the way you anticipated. As for Jacob, he was having a conflict with his brother and he was literally afraid for his life, but the real battle was between God and Jacob. Esau was a sideshow. Esau was an occasion. Esau was a circumstance.
When the issue is who has the right to rule (who is in charge), it’s always a wrestling match going up against the Almighty. A limp comes when you battle God, and God decides to win. He is INTENTIONAL about what you need and when you need it. Next week we will explore Dr. Graves thoughts on why we all need a limp.
