ON THE RUN -- Genesis 16:7-8 The angel of the
Post# of 3833
The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?"
"I'm running away from my mistress Sarai," she answered.
Hagar was getting a taste of her own medicine. She had flaunted her pregnancy in front of Sarai, making the older woman miserable. Now, the tables were turned. Hagar soon discovered that Sarai was capable of making her life a living hell. So what did Hagar do? She ran. Instead of apologizing to Sarai for her bad behavior and trying to set things right, she ran. Instead of taking responsibility for what she had done and admitting she had been wrong, she ran. Instead of staying where she was and taking what was coming to her, she ran.
Hagar would have fit right into today's world. Having problems on the job? Quit. Husband not giving you enough attention? Have an affair. Marriage not what you think it ought to be? Get a divorce . Neighbors not the kind of people you like? Move. Kids not behaving the way you think they should? Throw them out.
We live in an age of instant gratification… a time of give it to me now, or I don't want it. A lifestyle that says if it doesn't feel good , don't do it. Get out. Get away. Run. Granted, there are times when leaving is the right thing to do. There are times when there is no other course possible to us. But in most instances, our flight instinct takes over without our ever considering what we might be able to do to make things right. Like Hagar, when the going gets tough, the wimps get out.
If you're running up against problems, don't turn and run without looking carefully at the situation to see if there is something you can do to make it better. Perhaps, like Hagar, your actions are the source of the problem. If they are, then perhaps your change of attitude could also be the source of the cure.