Have you been running from God? Have you been running from the reality that life knows you, life sees you, and life expects something from you? This is the reality of God.
One reason we run from God is that we are afraid to have a genuine encounter and relationship with Him. Most people prefer the idea of God to the reality of God. We like God in the abstract rather than the personal, in the past or future rather than the present, distant rather than intimate, weak rather than strong, and without authority rather than with authority. It seems that most of us would rather believe in God than know God.
Sometimes we run from God because we don’t want to be accountable to Him. We don’t want His input, His requests or expectations. We want to keep God at a distance so that we can hear Him when we want to, and tune Him out when we don’t. Answering to God, and knowing the importance of answering to God, is more of a relationship than many people want.
Ironically, one of the ways we run from God is by running to church, an ashram, or temple. We tell ourselves we’re trying to find God but, more frequently, we’re trying to lose Him. Organized religion promises a certain safety to our ego. Despite the rhetoric of most religious institutions, they generally defend against a personal encounter with God. A living relationship with God implies transformation and change. Groups, however, prefer the status quo. Only so much individuality, innovation, and independent thinking is tolerated, and then, only slowly. People join groups, including religious groups, to be supported, not pushed. They want familiarity over dynamism, acceptance over challenge, reassurance over self-examination, peace over struggle and personal sacrifice.
Outside of prayer and meditation, most religious groups do not teach their members how to interpret the language of God. Shouldn’t this be a priority if you really want people to have a vital, personal relationship with their Creator? The bible is full of references to dreams, visions, signs, and synchronicities, but when was the last time you attended a religious service that offered instruction on these things, or emphasized their relevance and importance to a God-centered life?
It’s not so hard to run from God anymore. When we fail to learn His language, it’s easy to forget that He even speaks.