Holy Spirit of God, help me strive against all odds to live into your design for my life…

 
Holy Spirit of God, help me strive against all odds to live into your design for my life…
 
Genesis 32:22-32
Like Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, each of us will be given opportunity to live into the plans Father God has for us. Jacob, the Supplanter or imposter, did not start out as a nice guy. One evening he schemed with his mother to deceive his father Isaac into giving him the family inheritance. After struggling with the fallout of cheating his older brother, Esau, of his birthright and fleeing the family lands, Jacob was engaged by an angel of God in an all-night wrestling match. It left him with limp that would serve to remind him of the ‘striving’ required to become who he was designed to be.  When Jacob persevered through this trial of strength, he was deemed worthy of receiving his new name, Israel, that is Ruler with God , indicating that he was a man who did not give up easily, but gave his all to live into God’s will for his life. Like Jacob, we too mismanage our gifts and talents, and find ourselves being mislead into ways of self-creation, self-dependence and self-sustainment. These sins disrupt our good relationships with God and with others in our family, our workplace and our communities, and lead to all kinds of fragmentation and conflict. But God is trustworthy!  But no matter how foolish we have been, and how wily our sins God seeks us out, and engages our hearts, minds, souls and strengths in the cosmic battle of self-discipline over despair, love over hatred, light over darkness and of life over death. When we persist in seeking God’s presence continually, and ‘wrestle to the finish’  then we too, like Jacob will find our ‘real’ name, that is our true calling through life, custom designed as that calling is, by our Creator, our Heavenly Father. Will I strive against all self-centeredness to become the daughter/son of God that I am designed to be? Holy Spirit of God, help me strive against all odds to live into your design for my life.  
 
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually.  (Psalm 105:4 )
 
Sin is believing the lie that you are self-created, self-dependent and self-sustained.
St. Augustine of Hippo
 
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