How Can I Get Rid Of All This Strife?

Have you ever went out of the frying pan and into the fire.  Jacob had cheated his brother, and then he ran for his life.  He went to his uncle Laban.  Here he was taken advantage of and cheated by  Laban much like he did to his brother.  You know what goes around comes around, we do reap what we sow.   The tension between him and Laban reached the point that Jacob decided it was time to pack up and leave.  But the only place to RUN TO, was the place he had just RUN FROM, his home, and his brother.

He was caught between a rock and a hard place.   Imagine being on that journey home.  Your uncle that you have strife with behind you, and you brother who you have strife with in front of you.  I know there is someone reading this and no matter what direction you look, there is strife all around you.  I know there is someone reading this  you struggle with peace because your home is full of strife, your work is full of strife, your relationships are full of strife, and you are just wanting to find a place of peace.

In the middle of all of this strife half way between his father-n-law and his brother, Jacob has an experience with God.     And what does he find in this experience with God?  YET ANOTHER FIGHT!  UHG!  He begins to wrestle with the angel, and JACOB wouldn't let go until he received a blessing!  Wow.  Everywhere he goes there is nothing but strife!    Jacob's life is so full of strife at this point that he even gets into a struggle with God!

When strife abounds, we can try to cast blame.  We can blame Jacob, after all he had stolen his brothers blessing, and strife begats strife.  We can blame Leban, after all the only reason God was blessing him was because Jacob was in his home, what right did he have to cheat Jacob so many times.  We can blame Esau, wasn't he apathetic towards the things of God?  Didn't he deserve to lose it all?  Last we can blame God.  Why would he bless a man who stole his brothers blessing?  And now why has he shown up in this  most stressful time of Jacob's life and wrestle with him all night long and wound him.  Yes, Jacob was wounded by God.  

That is one of the worst things about troubles, strife and wounds, we are always wanting to find someone or something to blame.  We want to find out why this is happening and whip the one that was at fault, or at least make them feel the wrath of our judgement against them.

Don't judge these in this story too harshly, this sounds like a lot of families in America that I know.  You see all this strife, cheating, hurt and wounds are coming from those that are kin to one another.   Even God gets down in the middle of this fight and touches Jacob and he ends up with a limp.

Genesis 33:1And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids.

2And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph last.

3And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

4And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.

Esau came towards his brother in army formation with 400 men, and Jacob split into two groups hoping that at least one group would survive the massacre.  But the man who wanted to steal from his brother Esau when he was younger had changed.  He bowed down seven times and came near to his brother.   And we see a beautiful reconciliation.  Strife doesn't stop until we stop fighting.  What causes fights and quarrels among us?  

James4:1From where come wars and fightings among you? come they not from here, even of your lusts that war in your members?

2You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not.

3You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it upon your lusts.

4You adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

5Do you think that the scripture says in vain, The spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy?

6But he gives more grace. Therefore he says, God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble.

James list four things that lead to strife:

From the lust that wars in your members.  Strife arises because we want what we want

You have not because you ask not.  Prayerlessness leads to STRIFE.   

We ask amiss because all we want is things that benefit ourselves instead of the Kingdom of God.  Strife arises when we do not put God first.  

God gives grace to the humble, we are in strife because we are too proud to accept anything else

You must find the grace of God in order to have peace!  But you cannot force reconciliation on anyone.  You are wasting your time trying to PROVE someone WRONG.    When the prodigal left home, the Father did not leave home to find him.  He stayed home and watched for him from a distance.  When Jacob ran from home, Esau didn't hunt him down and look for revenge.   When we hunt people down and confront and 'deal with the issues' we are stepping out of bounds.  If they RAN from the situation that means they are not yet READY to deal with it.  Don't chase your family down when they run from you, wait patiently for them to come back home.  That will be the time they are ready to 'deal with the issues' and find restoration.  

Your life may be full of strife today, but look at the life of Jacob, he finally found peace and reconciliation.  Don't lose heart.  NO matter what situation you are in God will make a way.   You can have peace, no matter how many mistakes you have made.  No matter how stressful your life is right now you can have an experience with God just as Jacob.    Realize that God may wound you.  He may show you things about yourself that hurts.  He may send someone else to tell you things you don't want to hear.