Articles
Running Away
“But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord...” (Jonah 1:3)
About a month ago, Olivia and I went to North Conway, NH for a relaxing vacation. Upon arrival, we noticed flyers in every window for a missing girl named Abigail Hernandez. The circumstances of her disappearance were very odd to say the least. After nine months of being gone, she was rejoined to her family just this past week. Details are forthcoming, but the evidence seems to suggest that she ran away.
Many have contemplated running away; some have acted on that impulse. The supposition is that fleeing will relieve every burden and culminate in a carefree existence like that of Tom Sawyer. Running away can be a beneficial response to certain stimuli. Christians are exhorted to flee from Satan and his schemes throughout the NT (e.g. 2Tim. 3:5). Fleeing pain is natural; the flight reflex may even keep us alive.
However, running away is not always good. Jonah fled from God; Judas ran away from his guilt by hanging himself; Elijah fled into the desert when he should have stood for the LORD. Shirking our responsibilities is never a proper justification for desertion. The duty of the Christian is not to spurn God’s directives by running away, but rather to face them head on.
