It seems that a common remedy for anything that seems too tough in life is to simply escape. I have been thinking about this since I have been studying the book of Jonah. The concept of running from our problems has either directly or indirectly come up in several recent conversations with friends. Why is it so easy to run away and so hard to stay? Why would we buy a ticket to go as far away as possible from God's will?
Then again, why would God ever call us to go to our own Nineveh?
Whenever I make a major decision that causes my life to change course, I try to stop and ask, "Am I running to God's will or away from something." That question is very important because if you are ever running away from something, you won't get far enough from it to escape what you left behind. Our stuff always catches up with us. Unresolved conflict from previous relationships finds its way into our next encounters with people. The things we work so hard to avoid can become even bigger problems over time if ignored. Time doesn't really heal all wounds. Time can actually cause disease, decay and eventually death.
Unresolved baggage follows us along until we create destructive patterns in our life. We have to repent, resolve and renew areas in our life that stray from God's best. In many cases running way provides temporary relief while making the internal problem even worse.
While we may need to get away at times, more often then not our flights are actually a sinful response to a divinely directed encounter with a storm. God allows us to encounter tough times because those moments produce people that are transformed into the image of His Son.
Do you embrace your challenge or run away from it? You may find that your answer reflects your honest feeling about how much you truly trust God and accept His will as the best course to take.
