Skip to main content

You Can Run and Sleep but You Can’t Hide

Jonah wanted to get away from God’s calling, but he didn’t stand a chance when he started running from God.  Why? Because we can run from God all we want but we can NEVER hide from God.  I also discovered this fact the hard way.  
Here’s what happens when we walk or run away from God.  The further we get away from God the harder we make our lives.  We make bad decisions, we create conflict and we let our flesh rule instead of the Holy Spirit.  

Then what do we do? Instead of coming back to God, we give into depression and anxiety which leads to us making more bad decisions.  Why don’t we simply come back to God? Because in our minds it’s easier to stay where we are than get right with God.   I felt this way in my life.  The thought of dealing with all the issues I had caused was quickly replaced with “I’m good where I am.”

I acted just like Jonah. I went to the bottom of the boat and laid down.  I purposely ignored all the issues going on and went to sleep.   How many of you are in the midst of a storm right now but have “fallen into a deep sleep” just as Jonah did.   

It’s time to wake up! Do you truly believe if you just “sleep” that God is going to stop calling you? 

Jonah’s actions, much like David’s, Samson’s, and others, were affecting those around him.  
Jonah 1:5 states, “Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.”

While I was “sleeping” and while you are “sleeping” others around us are suffering.  Our actions are causing the boat to be rock back and forth. This isn’t fair to them and it’s not what God wants for our lives.  Stop for a minute can consider “What is the impact you are having on those around you?”

Remember, one day we will all stand before God and give an account for our actions – “Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Ripple Effect

Ripple Effect – “the continuing and spreading results of an event or action” Emotions like anger, blame, and self-centered rationalization all have something big in common. They destroy balance and quite often can lead to depressed feelings. They feed each other because they all stimulate feelings that lead the same place. Being angry all the time tends to encourage blaming everyone else around you. Rationalizing why nothing is your fault reinforces your anger at everyone. I can remember plenty of times I fell into this pattern years ago, before I got my anger under control. When employees didn't understand tasks I'd given them, or didn't complete them to my satisfaction, I'd give out hard criticism as feedback. I told myself at the time that if they couldn't take my criticism they were too weak to be on my team. That kind of thinking made it impossible for me to acknowledge whether my instructions had been unclear, or whether there was any validity to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Making Decisions

Does having a daily relationship with God make decision making easier?   Listen as Tami Heim details how her relationship with God helps her make decisions in her life and her families life. Tami Heim has been the president and CEO of Christian Leadership Alliance since January 2012.   Her professional career includes executive leadership experience in the technology, marketing, publishing and retail industries. Learn more about the Christian Leadership Alliance at https://christianleadershipalliance.org/ Check out this episode!
Post a Comment
Read more

Denial Leads to Depression

Denial and depression are no joke. These are both powerful emotions that we often underestimate in terms of the effects they have on our lives.   When left unchecked they have a profound effect on us and those around us. When we're in denial we are avoiding having to deal with something, whether it's a particular situation, person, or responsibility. We imagine what dealing with those things would look like, often blowing it out of proportion in our minds. We put words in other people's mouths and tell ourselves stories about why things are the way they are, and end up deciding not to deal with it at all. Over time, not dealing with those things can lead to anxiety or even guilt as situations get worse. That can lead either to anger or depression. Anger relates directly to denial since it can cause us to blame everyone else, to feel like a victim. Feeling like a victim, like life is just happening to you, robs you of a sense of power and control. That sense of ...
Post a Comment
Read more