You Can Run, But. . . 

     Have you ever run a race and become exhausted?  Well it’s very easy to become physically burnt out if you don’t pace yourself or if you are not in shape to complete a task.  I have to be really honest, I am not a runner.  If I can get in a good brisk walk, jog, I’ve accomplished my goal.  Running for exercise is considered deliberate, but when you have to get away from something or someone, running becomes a necessity. This type of running is strategic and exerts a great deal of anxiety. This form of running is mental. When someone or something is chasing you, you tend to look back to see if you’re in immediate danger of being caught. Unfortunately looking back slows you down or causes you to trip over an unknown obstacle that is directly in front of you. Ironically, sometimes the things that we run from aren’t always bad. Many times we know right from wrong. We feel when we made decisions that were not going to produce a favorable outcome. We have an innate stop sign in our subconscious mind that speaks to us about our actions. We are experts at trying to convince ourselves that the things that we want to do are justifiable. We try to turn of the switch of our inner voice with excuses and delusions of grandeur to convince others of the things that we don’t even believe ourselves. Faster and faster, we’re running! Some of us don’t ever get the chance to catch our breath and pace ourselves because we are always running. We run away from our responsibilities. We run away from mistakes. We run from the things that we know are good for us and chase things that are destructive and detrimental to our future. The funny thing is when we chase danger we never seem to look back. The reason for this is that the good thing that are behind us, are the thing we’re trying to get away from. Have you ever been chosen by God? Many times we know that we have a gift. Sometimes God will choose us for things that we don’t believe that we are qualified for. God often chooses us for things that we do not want. Remember, he is no respecter of person. To be chosen by God is an honor and also a great responsibility. Many of us run because we don’t want to give up certain things. We also don’t want to step into an environment that is unfamiliar. We don’t understand why God chose us. We feel like if we run from the call, eventually He will stop chasing us.  The funny thing is it’s easier to run away from things that we can see. Running from God’s will is different. We can’t see Him and He can show up at any time and in any area of our lives. On the other hand, He can choose not to show up during those times when we need Him the most. Running from God is like running in place going nowhere fast because we soon find that nothing that we do will prosper and the things in our lives have very little fulfillment. We become exhausted. Instead of running from God we run to Him because the attempt to fulfill our own agenda did not work. You can run, but you can't hide, because God knows exactly how to bring you right to Him. John 5:30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, I judge, as my judgment is just because I seek not my own will but the will of Him who sent me”.