Why Do You Run?

I once ran away from home. If I remember right, I was in kindergarten and was angry my dad wouldn't stop what he was doing to play with me. I'm pretty sure my dad asked me to wait patiently for a few minutes, but in my blind rage that seemed unacceptable! I stormed out of the house, walked to the end of my street, turned around, and went back home.

Running away can involve putting physical distance between you and the situation. Running can also involve emotional, mental, relational, and spiritual distance.

Here are a few different motivators for running away.*

Anger

Like kindergarten me, something happens that deeply upsets you. In your anger, you bail. That person no longer deserves your respect. That person can't be forgiven. 

Anger is an emotion to move us to act, but in this situation your anger causes you to move away from the problem rather than toward a solution.

Pride

Your way is the right way. You can't believe others don't agree with you. You take your idea and go elsewhere. Maybe someone else will understand.

The idea here is to avoid the possibility that you're wrong. Your perspective isn't the full picture. Unfortunately, social media (and media in general) makes it easy to create an "echo chamber." You only read and see things that you agree with so your ideas become more entrenched rather than challenged.

Despair

Your situation seems hopeless with no way out. You leave for a change of scenery hoping the reset button will provide some relief.

Another option is to push through the pain and despair. It's hard, but worth it. You will grow and find a resolution to your problems rather than leave them behind. A quote attributed to Winston Churchill is, "When you're going through hell, keep going." Many times running through is better than running away.

Conflict Avoidance

I don't like conflict. I know conflict can be healthy but I'd still rather avoid it and ignore it. You might run because of a serious conflict you'd rather not have. You cut off the person or ignore the subject.

Occasionally, it's healthy to pause conflict. You need to calm down. You need to collect your thoughts. Avoiding conflict indefinitely isn't healthy.

There can be other motivators. The bottom line is something motivates you to get away rather than stay.

The Good News

Thankfully, God is great at running after us. He went after the prophet Jonah and sent Jesus to rescue us. 

If you're not a Christian that idea is either comforting or scary.

Comforting because it's good to know someone loves you enough to pursue you.

Scary because the thought of being chased after seems more like a horror movie.

God isn't chasing you like a character from a horror movie or an abuser who can't let you go. He's pursuing you as a loving Father who wants the best for you. He sees the best for you, but you aren't seeing what He sees.

To learn more about what God sees about you, check out some of our sermons and join us in person for worship on Sundays. We'd love to connect you with a community of people becoming rooted in God's love.

*Disclaimer: I'm not talking about getting out of a dangerous or unhealthy situation such as abuse.