Conflict

Conflict. It's a word we hear often. We deal with conflicting schedules, navigate constant political unrest, and wrestle with conflict within ourselves.

When I think of conflict, the first person who comes to mind is Jacob, the son of Isaac and Rebekah and the brother of Esau. His life began in conflict, struggling with Esau even inside his mother’s womb. His deception of both Esau and Isaac only led to more turmoil. And just when Jacob likely thought he had escaped conflict in pursuit of a wife, he was deceived himself and given the wrong bride.

But the peak of conflict in Jacob’s life comes in Genesis 32, when he wrestles with a supernatural being through the night. This moment was far more than a physical struggle. It represented a lifetime of wrestling: with his brother, with his father-in-law, with fear, with guilt, and with God. Jacob refused to let go until he received a blessing. And finally, bruised and limping, he got what he was after. There, in the place of his struggle, God gave him a new name: Israel, meaning “one who struggles with God.”

Though the fight left Jacob marked with a limp, it also left him forever changed.

In today’s world, conflict is often seen as something negative, as something to avoid. And sometimes, it should be. But the truth is, the struggles we face can shape us. Some of our greatest growth comes not in comfort, but in conflict. God often uses trials and tests to mold us into who He’s calling us to be.

Yes, we will walk through storms. But if we hold on, if we wrestle through with faith, we will come out changed.

~Milan