Escape

(Blog written in 2020) My desire is to become more and more healthy and strong from the inside-out, as a disciple and follower of Jesus. I want to throw off anything that hinders or entangles as I run this race (Heb 12:1).

This is a journey and there are many areas of my life that God has transformed. However, sometimes I still find myself desiring to escape something unpleasant to something pleasurable, even if it’s not what God has for me. Can you relate?

Whether you’re escaping a broken heart, aloneness/loneliness, boredom, financial, relational, or job-related stress, or a pandemic that is sweeping over the globe...

Whether it’s escaping to your relationships, sleep, food, entertainment, video games, social media, your phone, Netflix, porn, masturbation, reading, shopping, work, ministry, exercise, substances, some other form of self-comfort (fill in the blanks)...

The other day, Aya (my friend who you see translating in the videos) spoke to those who are inclined to escape when the going gets tough. She declared, “You are overcomers”. Not escapers. Overcomers. Not overcoming the desire to escape in your own strength, but through Christ who gives us strength (Phil 4:13).

What if we fasted from escape? A lot of those above activities are good. But if the motivation to go to them is because you’re trying to escape something, it becomes an escape from the One thing that we actually can take refuge in. We can’t, in the same moment, both run to God and run to something else; we are choosing one or the other. The other things are temporary, and provide a false sense of escape. But God says we can run into His refuge. What would it be like to take inventory of our motivations behind a desire to do something, and if the motivation is escape, instead run to God?

Let’s not have any idols before God.

Think about the list of “pleasures” above and identify which in your life you may use as escapes from time to time. What is a current unpleasant area of your life?

The next time you’re feeling drawn towards your “pleasure of choice”, pause and consider if the reason you’re feeling drawn to it is to run from something unpleasant. The next time you feel like running or retreating from that unpleasant thing, think about what you are feeling tempted to turn to. Say no, and instead go to God. Tell him how you are feeling.

Tell him how you are feeling. Be real with God about your emotions. We can come before Him with our heart completely exposed. (He already knows our hearts, so why not tell Him! Don’t stuff your emotions down but express them to God. He can handle them!) He loves us completely and continuously. Say to Him, “I’m so angry about ____”. “I’m so fearful/anxious about ____”. “I’m so sad about ____”.

Spend time with Him in that place of refuge/shelter, and then write down what He’s saying. Write truth. And choose to believe it. His words are always true. “This is how I feel... but this is what You say! I hand you my feelings, and I exchange them for your words of truth and hope and peace and joy!”

Let’s “escape” from the temptation to escape! When we run to Him instead, He promises to be there.