Run toward or away from God?

I heard a quote on the radio the other day that got me thinking: "I know you want to run from the pain because you think, 'If I run from the pain, I'll find help here.' But really, if you want to be free of the pain, you have to run into the pain. If you try to run from it, it will follow you the rest of your life. If you press into it, you can find healing and help there."

My initial gut reaction when I am faced with pain is to get out of it or run away from it. That's our human nature speaking to us. In fact, it seems so "natural" that we usually don't think twice about it, give in, and seek to get as far away from the pain as possible. But as a believer, I have a new nature. I've been redeemed, justified, and changed in so many ways because of Christ's death on the cross and the Holy Spirit's work in my life. So is running as far away from pain what God wants me to do as a new creation?

Each one of us has pain to one extent or another. Whether it's physical pain or emotional pain we all have pain. That pain is manifest in various degrees depending on the person and the situation. As a believer in Christ, what should be my attitude toward the pain in my life?

First of all, the pain may be part of God's will. 1 Peter 4:19 says "those that suffer according to God's will..." God's will includes suffering. If the pain is a result of suffering for Christ instead of a result of sin, then you're smack in the middle of God's will. There is no better place to be. It may not "feel" good but the reality of the situation is that you are where God wants you to be.

Secondly, James give us an insight in to what our attitude should be when we find ourselves in trials of various kinds. James 1:2 says, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds." Our attitude should be joyful. That joyfulness leads to patience, and that patience leads to a completness in everything. Ironically, that is where we want to end up! But we have to endure the trial or pain with joy before we can experience completeness.

So when you find yourself in the middle of a painful situation, do you run toward God ro away from Him? The last part of 1 Peter 4:19 says, "entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good." Do you put your trust in a faithful God or do you put your trust in yourself or someone else? Running to God in a time of pain ultimately brings healing but may require that you endure the pain for awhile. Trusting in yourself or someone or something else, even though it may feel good at the time and feel like you are escaping the pain, only brings a false sense of healing. The pain will return until you trust God to guide you through it.