On Escaping From
Good day, Royal Ones.
God makes the way of escape (See 1 Corinthians 10:13, and others). He creates the opening for us to get away from or get through obstacles. I want to address our perspective on escape.
escape (v.)
: to get away from a place (such as a prison) where you are being held or kept
: to get away from a dangerous place or situation
: to get away from something that is difficult or unpleasant
Escape is personal and narrow. It implies a close call of some kind, where danger and trouble can potentially overtake…BUT GOD intervenes.
Do you know we can transfer this burden to relationships, and place the misdirected (and unfair) expectation on others to be “an escape” for us? Look at that definition again. Escape lives for its own way; it’s selfish in nature. Escape says I’VE GOT TO GET OUT…and when I transfer that burden to you, escape says JUST BE THERE WHEN I’M OUT.
Here’s the relational problem with escape. Escape’s only purpose is to stand still, like a monument and marker for you. Escape receives no preference, priority or attention because it’s only there as a retreat from personal danger. Escape does not benefit from covenant; you are not responsible for it or accountable to it for your absence or intermittent stays. We can control escape, and to keep escape its place, we emphasize its distance as crucial to our need. Escape is easy to ignore and requires to maintenance. Escape adds no extra burden and expects nothing from us. Escape is easy. We learn this way so well until we become an
escape artist (n.)
: a person (such as an entertainer) who is good at escaping
Escape is what it is… and we remain who we are, except we permit the Lord to change us. If we submit to patterns of battle-battle-escape-retreat, battle-battle-escape-retreat, and give no place to authentic nurturing relationships, then we do ourselves and the other parties great disservice and dishonor.
Today, take a look at the relationships and people over whom you declare VALUE, LOVE and PURPOSE. How many, if at all, do you demote to “escape status”? We do not ESCAPE FROM danger and trouble and challenge into relationships. That is
dysfunction (n.)
: the condition of having poor and unhealthy behaviors and attitudes within a group of people
medical : the state of being unable to function in a normal way
Today is a great day to shift perspective.
Here’s what I know: God visits us in escape and in dysfunction (someone ought be lift their hands and thank Him for this!). And the people who suffer through escapism just may be God’s sign of love to us and our chance to RUN INTO and change our PATTERN OF ESCAPING FROM… though we are constantly displeased with their expression, because they don’t act like escape.
Blogs I Follow
The Bereans' Commentary with Shaunta D. Scroggins, Ed.D. 