Running the Other Way!

I vividly remember the call of GOD upon my life to preach when I was 13. Over the next few years, I wandered towards then away from that call. The draw of the world became stronger and it wasn’t until I was 24 that I finally submitted and committed to four years of Bible college training and instruction.

Today, as I look back, I can relate well to Jonah’s experience. I can see myself in that first chapter of Jonah and chances are, you can too. The Scripture tells us: “The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because their wickedness has confronted Me. However, Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence” (Jonah 1:1-3 HCSB). Up to the moment of his call to go, we know nothing. However, we do know that when GOD said “GO!”, Jonah took off the other direction.

I wonder how many times GOD has told you to go do something for Him—to share Jesus with somebody, to help a person in need, to step out of your comfort zone—and you have run off the other direction. Maybe you felt incompetent. Maybe you felt the situation was not conducive to your lifestyle. Maybe you just felt like somebody else needed to do that. Maybe, maybe, maybe! Life becomes a world of “maybes” which create a world of “could have beens.”

We miss out on a great deal in life when we run the other direction. GOD is wanting to take us on the adventure of a lifetime but we choose rather to submit to the routine of the day. Running the other way creates negative life situations for all of us. The storms you are going through. The problems and difficulties that seem to abound in your life are because you refused to follow the direction GOD wanted to take you in. Jonah ended up in a mess when he disobeyed. You will as well.

Trouble finding happiness? Contentment? Excitement? Maybe it’s time for you to re-discover GOD’s direction and run that way. Seek GOD out and begin running with Him and discover real life is right where GOD is and wants you to be.