Where do you or to who do you run –

When you feel weary and weak…

When you feel like giving up…

When you feel like everyone is succeeding in life, but you…

When the disappointments just keep coming! In wave after wave….

When you are jealous and struggle to be happy for your friends who are getting married, having  babies, finding the perfect job, are healed, etc…

Where do you run when the bad seems to far outweigh the good? 

When you are bored and feel purposeless…

When you are too busy to do anything well….

When you are being convicted of sin and struggling through the consequences of your choices…

Where do you run when you actually hear God speaking and His promptings scare you to death….Or when God doesn’t speak and it seems He has been silent forever?

Or in contrast -where do you run when you are happy?

When you are excited…

When some of the pieces to your life seem to be falling into place after years of waiting and wondering…

When you get good news, get the promotion, have a great weekend, etc…

To what, whom or where do you most often run?

The answer should be obvious and at this point in my life almost muscle memory, but it’s not. There are so many options, but only One right answer. More often than not, I choose something or someone other than Jesus. The truth is everyone of the things I run to other than God is an idol. It’s tricky because running to a spouse, parent or trusted friend doesn’t seem like a bad thing, unless you leave out God. However, in the moment the choices are almost endless: TV, social media, our stupid phones, food, drugs, alcohol, coffee, work, exercise, etc. and even ministry can become an idol if we run to it instead of to our Savior. If you’re anything like me, you want a quick “fix“. You listen to that lie that says “you just need something that will take away or dull the pain, the hurt, the confusion-if only for a few minutes”. 

The problem is all of our “fixes” are temporary and if we are honest, not all that satisfying. Jesus is the only One who can truly satisfy, help and provide the peace we long for and so desperately need. Psalm 121 is crystal clear “I lift my eyes toward the mountain. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth”. Or Psalms 23 “The LORD is my shepherd”. 

So the question becomes if we know this to be true – which I believe most people reading this do – why oh why do we insist on living in the chains that Jesus died to free us from? Why do we not believe that He is working? Why do we fight so hard to get our way when not only do we know, but He has proven time and again that His ways, His plans, His timing is better?! 

The same reason we don’t (at least I don’t) run to Jesus first – “The devil lurks around watching and waiting for someone to destroy” 1 Peter 5:8 (my paraphrase). I don’t know about you but I am sick and tired of being such an easy target! 

Here is what I have been hearing God telling me -We need to find our way back to living in awe and wonder of Him. We need to reflect on and recount His goodness like we read in the Psalms and Isaiah 40-42, or what about John 1:27 “He is the one coming after me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.” These men had a clear understanding of God and the sense of awe due Him. What if by taking the time to recount God’s goodness in our lives, we discovered that our lives are not that bad after all. But, on the contrary most of us have a lot of good in our lives because God has blessed us abundantly. 

We have to stop making excuses! We need to spend time in His word, every single day  and a quick 5 devotional is NOT enough! We need to surround ourselves with friends that will ask us – “have you talked to God about this?”, and if our answer is no, stop and pray with us right then. We need to be bold and brave, like the prodigal son and be willing to admit our sins and run into the Father’s waiting and open arms. We need to get on our knees and beg God to destroy our pride- because pride SUCKS and I’m convinced is one Satan’s biggest tools of destruction. 

Will you journey with me and try running to God first no matter what comes our way? It’s unnatural – I get that and I’m gonna need some help but what I know to be true is that our Help is ready and waiting, all we have to do is ask Him.