Do you Love Me Enough to Fight?

Readings:

Job 10

Job 11

Job 12

Job 13

Excuse my harsh words,  but all of this “happy wife,  happy life” stuff is crap and lies. If a spouse of either gender needs to cower and placate and dance around the other one,  that is NOT happy, healthy, or sustainable.

When most people date,  they try to project a better image of what they think the other person wants than they actually are — this is because there is no relationship,  there is no commitment, there is no covenant yet. Even in the honeymoon phase, unless abuse is part of the picture,  people will rarely get as “real” with their spouse about their true frustrations as Job does here with God. It takes going through some battles together in a relationship before we know that we can be “real” and know they won’t either walk away or respond with abuse.
I see how Job talks with God and it doesn’t strike fear in me on his behalf like it used to when I read these passages years ago. Now, it stirs a respect for the relationship that He and God clearly have. Now God still has to respond to Job’s challenging words, no doubt. But it reminds me of how my wife and I can have arguments, or pick at each other, or even blow off steam — all the time loving each other, committed to each other,  and frustrated all at the same time.

Real relationships have depth and are so entangled with everything around us both that the words we are saying aren’t even just about “this thing” — but involve every argument we’ve had in the past, every set moment we’ve had, how our day has been, how much time we’ve spent together getting on each other’s nerves, and how much time we’ve been apart missing each other. All of these things are a part of our conversations that someone standing nearby can’t see, hear or experience themselves — but that we are both very intimately aware of when we’re being “real” with each other.

And it’s the same with God. He doesn’t need us repeating some words over our food to check the box of speaking at him today. He’s ready for us to grow closer and closer in relationship with Him so that in the good times and in the bad,  we are in it together. And He isn’t going anywhere when we say out loud the truth about our doubts,  our fears, our frustrations,  our anger,  etc. He already knows what’s in our hearts and what we are going to say before we even think it! So why do we hide behind our proverbial fig leaves instead of running back into His open arms?

Do we love and trust Him enough to wrestle — like all intimate, close relationships do?