Genesis 32:24-26 “And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thing was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.”
Jacob wrestled with the Lord figuratively and literally. He refused to give up until he saw his faithfulness bear fruit. He refused to give up throughout the dark of night until he saw success at day break.
American Christians have forgotten how to wrestle. We have failed to wrestle our nation back to its Christian foundation. We have failed to wrestle with the Lord to beg for large-scale revival. We have failed to wrestle with those who would invite ungodliness into our schools. We have failed to wrestle against liberal doctrine. We have failed to wrestle against anti-Christian influences in our government.
We have failed to wrestle in the voting booths. We have failed to wrestle in the school board meetings. We have failed to wrestle during campaigns. We have failed to wrestle during conversations with the unsaved. We have failed to wrestle in our prayer closets. We have failed to wrestle in our parenting. We have failed to wrestle as Christian Citizens. It is as if we have given up, content to be pinned against the mat of compromise and resignation.
As a leadership primer and an encouragement for PLUS, I was recently given a touching book by a friend about recent Columbian history. No Lost Causes details the tenure of President Alvaro Uribe Velez from an autobiographical perspective. Regarding the impending failure of his country, President Velez boldly states:
“We live in a cynical era, one in which many people around the world have lost faith in the ability of their leaders, and their governments, to change their lives for the better. Maybe I was an incorrigible romantic; maybe all those bullets and bombs had made me stubborn. But I refused to accept that Columbia was a lost cause. I passionately believed in the power of leadership to solve any problem, no matter how dire. I believed that, if we set our sights on an audacious vision and worked tirelessly toward it, we could indeed take back our country. With the dedication and teamwork of our ministers, military and police commanders, and thousands of other dedicated public servants, we would show our teeth to the violent ones and overcome them, without compromising our values. This was always the purpose of our administration: We would bring security, prosperity, and the rule of law to Columbia, while strengthening our democracy and human rights. None of this would be easy—there would be many failures, and much heartbreak, during our journey. But our government would spare no effort, and I was willing to do absolutely anything—big or small—to bring Columbia back from the brink.”
President Velez wrestled his country back from the brink of national failure. He had a strong passion and translated it into action. American Christians should learn from him. We must wrestle our country back from the brink of national failure. We must develop passion and translate it into action. We must trust in the power of God’s leadership to solve any problem while refusing to accept that America is a lost cause. PLEASE PRAY THAT AS AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WE WOULD WRESTLE OUR NATION BACK FROM THE BRINK.