“Running from your problems is a race you’ll never win.” – Kid Cudi 

“We run away all the time to avoid coming face to face with ourselves.” – Unknown

“Running away will never make you free.” – Kenny Loggins

“Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence?” – Psalm 139:7 NIV

Have you ever felt like just running away – getting in the car, heading any direction, and putting physical distance between you and the pressures of life?

I remember a long period in my life where this feeling didn’t ease or dissipate.  It remained with me every waking hour of the day for quite a few years.  While I lived in Minneapolis, my “running away” consisted of jogging for hours on a treadmill at the gym or alternating that with running a loop downtown – starting in the theater district on Hennepin Avenue, down to the mill district along the river, and finishing up by Nicollet Mall close to my apartment on 9^th and LaSalle.

Kenny Loggins was right.  All that running didn’t set me free, but I wasn’t convinced quite yet.  Maybe even more distance was the answer, so I left an executive management job and “ran away” to southern Utah.  The distance between me and ground zero of the devastation and hurt in my life was now more substantial, and as an added benefit, the climate difference between the wintery Midwest and the Mohave Desert made me feel like I was in an entirely different world – a world separated from the place that instigated all the pressure and hurt.

While there I took up hiking, and it became my new way to run away.  When memories and pressures surfaced, I would get lost in nature and lost in the miles and miles of trails and back country. 

All that running, all that hiking, was a great distraction, but the race wasn’t won as Kid Cudi mentions above.  Eventually you must come face to face with reality, your life as it is, and your role within it.

Lately, the urge to run away has surfaced again in my life and it has made me think about the following:

The Urgency to Run is Part of What it Means to be Human

Sometimes a person can feel embarrassed or shameful for feeling the need to escape, but the desire to run away is a natural part of our “fight or flight” response as human beings – the body’s automatic survival mechanism to either confront or escape a perceived threat.  When the pressures of life rise to a level beyond our ability to bear, the “fight or flight” response kicks in.

What gives me a form solace in my urge to run is the realization that many individuals from the Bible felt the same way when faced with pressure:

Adam and Eve – ran and hid to avoid shame and accountability (Genesis 3:8)

Hagar – ran to avoid harsh treatment from Sarah (Genesis 16:6)

Jacob – ran out of fear of his brother Esau’s wrath (Genesis 27:43)

Joesph – ran to avoid the urge of temptation (Genesis 39:12)

Moses – ran to avoid his calling and to escape potential punishment (Exodus 2:15 and Exodus 4:13)

Elijah – ran out of fear for his life (1 Kings 19:3)

Jonah – ran toward what he wanted instead of what God asked of him (Jonah 1:3)

All of the Disciples – ran out of fear when Jesus was arrested (Mark 14:50)

Peter – ran outside to weep after denying Christ (Matthew 26:75)

Judas – escaped to commit suicide when he realized the depths of his betrayal (Matthew 27:5)

When you look at this list, you see that some forms of running were admirable, some understandable, and some destructive.  Although running isn’t an uncommon reaction to anxiety and stress, it isn’t a permanent, viable solution either.  For me, running eased the burden and the tension short term, but never solved the source of the pain or addressed what was causing those emotions in the first place.

Realize that Running doesn’t Fix the Spiritual Reason Behind it

“Fight or Flight” is a real response to anxiety and pressure, but what is at the center of the issue causing the stress?  Not the issue itself, but what lies at the center of it?  Quite often, if you look deeply at the problem, you will find a spiritual aspect to it that is driving the “flight” response.

As an example, what lied at the center of my urge to run away was a lack of trust in God’s sovereignty – believing that He had allowed what happened to me and was in total control of the outcome – that I could trust His rule over my life and making everything work together for my good in the end (Romans 8:28).  The issue I faced was a heartbreaking divorce and financial ruin, but if I had focused on the spiritual attribute at the center of that issue, I would have begun to fix or heal the anxiety behind my need to run.  Running simply eased the pressure – never becoming a permanent solution to the core spiritual element at the center of the problem.

Do you currently feel like running away?  What difficult issues are you facing?  More importantly, what spiritual reason lies at the center of your issue – driving the “flight” response in you? 

Maybe succumbing to the pressures of being a single parent might be centered in trusting God’s presence is always with you and relying on His grace which He promises will always be sufficient for us.  Embracing this spiritual concept surrounding your issue will ease the pressures you face.  God will see to it!  Maybe at the core of running from the family conflicts are God’s principles of unconditional love and forgiveness. 

When you feel like running, look hard at what lies at the center of the issue.  What you will find my friend is a core spiritual element – what you need to focus on to heal, repair, or restore.  Running doesn’t solve anything, unless you are running in one direction, which leads us to our next point:

When you feel like Running Away, Run to God

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” – Proverbs 18:10

“Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” – Hebrews 12: 1-2

Earlier, when we talked about seeking the spiritual essence or truth at the center of any issue that is triggering a “fight or flight” response, we are not physically running away anymore but running toward our God for wisdom and safety.  This mental shift moves us away from our human, temporal stress and anxiety and places our focus on God, his eternal principles, and the spiritual lessons our soul is here to learn and embrace.

I love the comforting words used to describe our God – especially when dealing with anxiety surrounding a “fight or flight” response.  God is an “ever-present help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1), a “strong tower” – a place to run for safety (Proverbs 18:10).  He is our “shield” (Psalm 3:3), our “refuge” and our “shelter”(Psalm 91:1-5) – our “fortress” and our “stronghold” (Psalm 18:2).

If we feel the need to run away, God is the only place to run to my friend 😊

When the pressures of life mount up, remember that running away won’t eliminate them or permanently remove them.  Don’t beat yourself up for feeling this urge – realizing it is a natural, human response to whatever stress you are facing.  We also need to remember that human reactions are often tainted with the flaws of our humanity – often reactionary and not very well thought out.

We need to seek the spiritual essence found at the center of our earthly problems.  That is where we will find healing, growth, and the truth behind why they are a part of our journey here.

Run to God my friend, where you will find wisdom, shelter, and strength in every problem you encounter 😊

God bless you always!