Run to…not from

 

“…and the man and his wife hid themselves.” Genesis 3:8

I grew up in a culture that promotes running away from problems (Midwest nice??) rather than facing them. 

Have a problem with a friend? Solve it with other people. Don’t become a problem. 

Have a problem with leadership? Talk about it with all the other people that are having problems but don’t be a “disgruntled employee.” 

Have a problem with your neighbor? Suffer in silence. 

Growing up this way has understandably had an impact on the way I respond to problems. 

And it seemingly started way back in the garden of Eden. 

When you disobey God’s command, hide yourself. 

Approaching life this way has understandable implications. When you are only avoiding problems to come across as kind or “not a problem” you find a way to release your problems and it’s usually not helpful. 

Suffering in silence, bottling up emotions, complaining to others, or exploding with anger after it becomes too much. 

That’s why the Lord commands us to “keep no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:5) 

In order to avoid resentment and bitterness and live at peace with everyone (as much as it depends on you — Romans 12:18), it is necessary to address problems in a loving and kind way (remember love is also not rude - 1 Corinthians 13:5a). 

Through pre-martial counseling and other Biblical study and teaching, I have learned to address problems before they become big. 

In my relationship with God, this looks like running TO God when I have a problem instead of running FROM him. When I sin, it means going TO God to help me solve problems rather than hiding FROM God so I can fix my problems before he finds out (silly thought process—I know. Hiding from the one who knows all and is outside of time). 

In my relationship with my love, this looks like remembering that we are on the SAME TEAM, so I need to run TO him when I have a problem or get hurt by something so we can solve it TOGETHER, rather than hiding FROM him so I can have time to figure it out by myself. 

There is definitely wisdom in navigating all this because sometimes it is wise to wait. But my attitude should never be one of hiding. I should be willing and ready to discuss problems so they don’t become bigger ones. 

Running to the Lord first and then to my love to be a peacemaker rather than a “peacefaker” (term not my own). 

May the Lord continue to give us strength to run TO each other to solve problems rather than running away and causing even more. 

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all (including those that live close to you).” - Romans 12:18

6 more days!!