Running
Fight or flight? That’s a decision we often have to make: confront problems and situations or run away. When I was at school I could run pretty quickly which I suppose is one reason why I tend to run away now. I have often worked on the principle that no problem is too big to run away from.
So what’s wrong with running away? When I read the Bible, I find that I’m in good company. As a young man Moses fled Egypt to escape from Pharaoh. God commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh but ran away and set sail for Tarshish – about as far as he could go in the opposite direction. When Jesus was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane his disciples ran away. Yes, I seem to be in good company. But running away isn’t where it finishes. God caught up with Moses and sent him back to Egypt – and even then Moses tried to find excuses! Even when he tried to escape to the ends of the world, Jonah could not escape from God. Jonah went to Nineveh with immense reluctance but it resulted in the redemption of the people. The disciples fled and Peter denied even knowing Jesus. But after the resurrection they were filled with the Holy Spirit and faithfully preached the good news of Jesus and salvation.
There are times when we run from God and we just want to hide – but He is always there waiting for us to listen to Him and to turn around. Just because we have run away doesn’t mean that God doesn’t still have a purpose for us. As I said before, when we read the Bible we see that God uses people who have the same fears and weaknesses as us – and that is a tremendous source of hope.
David Bradshaw
July 2008