Triumphant Defeats by Jill Carattini

Take approximately 5 minutes to read this shortened version of yesterday's 'A Slice of Infinity'. Post comments to the blog for spiritual collaboration. Please email your prayer requests too.

So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."
But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."

The man asked him, "What is your name?"
"Jacob," he answered.

Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." Genesis 32:24-28 NIV

Slice of Infinity Snippets:
However often God must win, it is our most difficult but most triumphant loss. In this great surrendering that we find, as Fredrick Buechner says, "the magnificent defeat of the human soul at the hands of God."

Carrying the scars of a fresh wound, the humbled Jacob limped toward the brother he betrayed, on his way to becoming the father of a great nation. We, too, can be humbled by the God who refuses to leave despite the words we shout in protest and despite our constant refusal to surrender. We, too, can be awed by the God who says, "Follow me!" and expects us to trust that He will neither leave us nor forsake us. And we can marvel at the God who, carrying in his own body the scars of defeat, invites us to the very nearness that is our victory.

Comments:
I was reminded by God this weekend of something I have shared with some of you before. That is to say that the old adage of 'love the sinner, hate the sin' will likely not work. When we look at the culture around us and ask questions like, "why aren't they coming to me for help", and "why aren't people seeking me out for what I have?" I think we may be able to see that the perception at large of Christians is that we are hypocrites to the true Christ. People so often tend to see us as judgmental instead of healing. If you think about it, the biggest threat to religion in Jesus day, was Christ himself. And as our pastor said yesterday, and I believe he is right; the biggest threat to religion in our day is Jesus himself. Jesus comes to a broken world and offers healing. Is that what we are endeavoring to do? Or, are we endeavoring to tell people what they are doing wrong?

I believe if we can lead with our own brokenness, people will come to us. For, who wouldn't rather talk about someone else's downfalls rather than their own. And today's reading put this into a greater perspective for me as it helps us to look at defeat as a stepping stone. When God defeats us, we can not have won any greater prize.

As Danny and David (part of this Cougars group and long time friends) can attest, one of my biggest downfalls has been chasing girls. I have always chased girls for selfish reasons. Even to the point of hurting friends. Thank God for giving me a forgiving wife and for teaching me.

Love sinners(everyone), hate your own sin.