Resilience in Jacob's Journey: From Adversity to Triumph

Jacob: From Defeat To Victory Genesis 32: 24-31 LK George Hsu, MD, FRCPsych 04.03.2016 Sacramento

Jacob Struggled With God Gen 32:24-31 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. 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 humans and have overcome. Then he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared. The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.

Jacob A hard life Unloved by his Father Isaac Struggled to steal Isaac s blessing Had to flee for his safety Cheated by Father-in Law Laban Family discord: wives, concubines, and children Toiled without rest for 20 years Crisis: his past is catching up with him

Jacob in Crisis Gen 32 Jacob scared, fearful, distressed On verge of total loss: That he had struggled in vain Gen 32:7-11 In great fear and distress Jacob prayed, O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children.

Mental Health All health issues: Gene & Environment interaction: Nature & Nurture We cannot change our genes But we can shape our environment Environment: Adverse vs Beneficial Adverse: Bullying, lack of warmth and caring, broken relationships, bad habits, unemployment, financial troubles Beneficial: For Christians: God s intervention, our Faith, Christian Love

Jacobs Adverse Environment Upbringing: Not his father s favorite Strong Mother, Weak Father No spiritual teaching from Isaac Competed and Struggled with Esau Sent away from home Struggled with Laban Conflicts of his 2 wives Jealousy among his sons Adverse effect on mental health

Grace in Jacobs Hard Life God s graciousness, promise and protection God has given Jacob many strengths: Smart, Resourceful, Tenacious By Grace, Jacob s wise choice to use his tenacity: to wrestle with God By Grace, Jacob knew his own brokenness and asked God to fix it

Gods Grace in Jacobs Crisis In fact God came to wrestle with Jacob at the critical moment when Jacob had reached his limit God struggled with Jacob first, before He handled Jacob s crisis God has to change Jacob first because Jacob was his own worst enemy God blessed Jacob by defeating him In wrenching Jacob s hip: the strongest joint, Jacob was victorious over himself In brokenness, Jacob was healed

Broken but Healed In brokenness, Jacob became humble He quit his toxic struggles with everyone Defeated, Jacob learned to put God First in his life Broken, he learned to lean on God He knew that all good things came from God Even bad things in God, like being crippled, can become blessings

How God Engaged and Changed Jacob God cared enough to come and wrestle with Jacob Because Struggle is Jacob s preferred method and style in life So God cared enough to use wrestling to engage Jacob The Word became Flesh: Christ came to meet us on our turf and our terms And He still does today

Psychology Vs Faith 1950-80 Secular Psychology and Psychiatry: extreme antagonism to Faith Attacks Faith as Infantile, Immature, Fantasy, Unhealthy Projection and worse

Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud: God is an illusion Belief in God is an infantile need for a powerful father figure

Cognitive Therapist Albert Ellis: Belief in God is just a reflection of childhood dependency Where s the proof that God cares about you?

Faith Is Good For Mental Health Prof Koenig at Duke pioneered research on Faith & Mental Health in last 30 years Research found overwhelming evidence that Faith is good for mental & physical health Paradigm shift: No more attack on Faith Evidence is what counts, not Opinion or Theory

How Is Faith Good For Health Faith in God gives meaning, purpose, self control, and love All these are good for mental health Current Research: How do they change Brain Function to give Mental Health? Need for Christians to get involved in Neuroscience research We know the transforming power of meaning and love in Faith: George Stott

George Stott: CIM Missionary George Stott: one leg amputated Applied to join CIM: rejected 3 times over concerns about only one leg He asked to see Hudson Taylor Taylor: You can also serve by staying at home and praying Stott: But those with both legs are not willing to go to China Taylor deeply moved Stott established the Wenzhou Church

Conclusion We all have a Jacob inside us Hard life? In crisis? Worried? Be open to God: Choose Christ in faith Allow Jesus to engage & transform you first; then ask Him to solve your problem Live in a Christian community to grow in mental and spiritual health Without Christ: Even good things ultimately turn to emptiness In Christ: Even bad things can bring blessing

Conclusion: A Reminder God may allow illness to afflict you You can Glorify God even in illness An illness can be a Blessing in Christ, remember George Stott If God allows you to develop a mental health problem: Seek help from God and the Church Also: Get help from mental health professionals, just like if you have broken your leg you d need a doctor