Every year I choose a word to define my year, a word that sometimes doesn’t make total sense initially, but without fail, I have seen my year be defined by that word without even really trying.
My word for 2021 is vitality.
Definition of vitality according to Merriam Webster is the power of enduring or capacity to live and develop.
And my hope is that this year will be a year of endurance, increasing my capacity to live and develop. Although this seems positive, I know that in order to develop the power to endure it is going to require a struggle, and learning the ability to really wrestle with things that have previously been tolerable.
Over the past few months I have been challenged with the idea of wrestling with God, which happened a lot in 2020, and really helped to shape my perspective through different circumstances.
In the Bible, there is a specific account of Jacob wrestling with God, to the point that God put Jacob’s hip out of joint. When we wrestle with God, something needs to be put out of place, so that we are no longer caught up in comfort, so that we are able to develop the power to endure, and to gain godly perspective in our thinking.
This wrestling with God is an important part of our relationship with God. When we wrestle with God, we don’t just settle in our current circumstance or mindset. Instead we choose to have conversations with God that may not be easy, but that are so necessary for our growth.
I have been so encouraged by Paul’s letters to church communities. Specifically the prayers that he prayed for others. I hope that you will be encouraged by this prayer too:
Colossians 1v12 [The Message] We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.
God is the only one who can give us strength to endure the unendurable, and He doesn’t just give us the strength to endure, our endurance results in joy and thankfulness.
This is my prayer for you [yes you], that God will give you the strength to stick it out in whatever God wants you to do. A strength that glorifies God. A strength that is only developed through wrestling with God; building muscles we never knew existed, training our minds to keep going for just a little bit longer, ultimately developing endurance.
On the days that feel too much to handle and wrestling in your weakness feels overwhelming, hold onto the truth that God is strengthening and developing endurance within you. A strength that endures the unendurable.
Oh how I crave developing that type of strength, a strength that equips me to do all that God has for me, and so much more.
A strength that is only fitting to respond with joy despite the hardship, misunderstanding and lack of control. God is so deserving of our praise when He is the one developing us.
William Barclay said: “Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.”
I know that this year is going to be another year of challenges, obstacles, unmet expectations, and constant change; but I also know that there is nothing too difficult to bear when I am relying on God’s strength in me to strengthen me. It’s God’s strength in me that turns into glory – not my own – God’s glory.
May you wrestle with God this year, begging him to do things in your life that only He can do so that you will grow in the strength to endure the unendurable.
You were created to be strong. Now choose to grow in strength.
You will endure the unendurable.
JCS