Day 2491 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.


Proverbs 10:24 NIV

Whether it's the truth, a lie, a fear, a promise, a doubt, a hope, discipline, correction, learning, growth, righteousness, sin, conformity, acceptance, courage, trust, love, hatred, or a thousand other different things, it all boils down to this one undeniable fact: We're all either running toward something or running away from something. That's one of the biggest truths there is, and it applies to all of us.

All of us have spent a large portion of time running away from things. We've talked about several of them here lately. Running from the truth that we're not perfect. Running from this fear that our weaknesses and flaws will show for the world to see. Running from the responsibility for the messes we've made. Running away from the realization that we've been living a lie. Running from who God made us to be because it isn't as popular or fun as we've found sin to be.

So we all know what that's like. To live life running away from something. Always feeling this need to hide in order to stay ahead of the lies and consequences that we pray never catch up with us. And it's exhausting! It's like our lives become one giant bundle of chaos where we just stack lie upon lie in order to maintain this delightful and comfortable facade that helps keep us and the world around us convinced that we're okay.

But friends, eventually the truth will catch us. The lies will fall apart. The things that we're running from will gain on us and we'll be forced to deal with them. So why not just bite that bullet and deal with it now so that we don't have to run and hide anymore? Why not just lay down our pride, take an honest look at what we're doing, and start working to change things so that we don't have to keep living a lie on the run away from life?

Thankfully we can do just that. We can stop running away from the past, away from the truth, and away from the rebuke that we've feared for so long. We can take it on the chin, accept the hurt, and endure the humility. And then we start running toward the things that are better. We can start chasing wisdom. We can begin pursuing righteousness. We can spend our time thinking of ways to be better rather than trying to come up with ways to hide from the truth and delay the inevitable.

We can only run from things like the truth and responsibility for so long. Eventually they're going to catch us and we'll have to face the music as they say. Why not face it now so that we can experience something better than a life of hiding? Why not trade in the fear of yesterday for the excitement of tomorrow? A broken past for a hopeful future. A pile of mistakes for some beautiful promises. The garbage fire of who we've been for the plans that God's had for us all along.

So what are you running away from? Tough choices you’re not ready to make? Things you need to leave behind? Changes that will hard? What could you be running toward instead? Just know that as long as we’re running away from anything, it has a power over us that’s causing us to live in fear. We’ll never experience freedom like that. So stop running away from life and turn to face it head on. It may hurt at first but it’s the only way to find true freedom and the good we’re hoping to find.

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