DAY 10 - ESCAPE ARTIST
Zach Atwood,
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13
Have you ever been in a situation where all you wanted to do was escape? Maybe it was that moment you farted in gym class while doing sit-ups in 6th grade. Or when your dad gave you the sex talk on the way down from the mountains while you were stuck in traffic so there was no escape. Or it was when you showed up to the completely wrong class in college but didn’t have the courage to leave the room so you waited until it was over. Just me? That’s cool... but even if you haven’t gone through these oddly specific situations, we’ve all have been in situations and seasons of life where every part of you just wants to leave.
This desire for escape isn’t uncommon. Some of the greatest heroes of our faith have asked to be taken out of their situation and to have God change their current circumstances for a more favorable path: Abraham, Moses, David, etc. Heck, even Jesus, the Lord and Savior to the world, pleaded His Father, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me…” Luke 22:42a.
A lot of us find ourselves in a season of life (COVID-19 induced or not) where all we want to do is escape. We’re pleading with God to take us out of our circumstances, to remove us completely, and to bring us to where, we believe, the grass is greener. It’s human to want to escape the uncomfortable. We have the innate desire to find the “right” path in life, so the moment when things get uncomfortable, the desire to escape peaks. But Paul says, we are called to be on guard and ready, to stand firm no matter where we find ourselves, to be courageous in the uncertain, and to be strong despite feeling weaker than ever; no matter the season or situation we find ourselves in.
Young Adults, what if rather than pleading with God to remove us from this seasons of life, we asked Him for wisdom on what needs to be guarded, for mental and physical stamina to stand firm no matter what comes our way, for unwavering peace to remain courageous in the unknown, for our strength to be renewed daily, and, ultimately, what if we asked that His will to be done rather than ours? Because Jesus, who pleaded with God about what was in front of Him, ultimately knew what it was about His will, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:42.