Running, but which way?
By T.E., US Office
Why do people run from God? Better yet, why do Christians run from God? I can sort of understand why someone who doesn’t know God would run—fear of the unknown, just want to live their own lives, etc. I get that. But why someone who knows God, knows that they are loved by God, still chooses to run is the greater mystery.
Recently, I read a blog post by Shane Bennett in Mission Catalyst called The Jonah Juxtaposition. The post asks: Why does Jonah (and why do we) run from God’s purposes? For most, our immediate thoughts about Jonah are of the guy who was swallowed by a “whale.” But this story is really about how much God loves the nations and how the one guy who “followed” God professionally refused to obey him. In fact, he ran as far as he could in the opposite direction.
When I read Jonah’s story, I often think, “I would never do that.” And yet I can look back on different times in my life when I headed more the way of Jonah than the way of Jesus. Why? Why do we struggle with God and sometimes run from his purposes?
As a mobilizer, it’s my privilege to work with all sorts of people who feel God is leading them into missions. Yet, most of the people I work with don’t go. For some, it really isn’t a good fit. For others, they are running the path of Jonah. They know what God wants from them, yet they take off in the opposite direction.
Shane, in his blog, gives two lists: reasons people run away and reasons people run toward God’s purposes. Take a look:
“Reasons to Run away from God’s Global Purposes"
“Reasons to Run toward God’s Global Purposes"
Do any of these things ring true for you? When I was beginning to think about missions, learning a language and public speaking were huge obstacles for me. I told God that I would follow him but that I just couldn’t do those things. That’s just the way he made me.
Once I admitted this to God, he began to work. First, he brought me to Urbana where I was challenged to take my next step toward global missions. For me, this step was befriending an international student on my campus. I didn’t know of any international students so this was “safe.” But when I returned to campus after Christmas break, Hiro, a Japanese student, moved across the hall. A quick friendship began and before I knew it, he was teaching me Japanese. After Hiro left, Chinese students started coming into my life. They stretched me with new foods and late-night questions, and encouraged me to learn some of their language.
From these simple steps, God continued to stretch me until one day, years later, I found myself preaching in Chinese at a new church plant in Taiwan. God took me by the hand and slowly walked me through my various struggles.
If you are struggling with something and beginning to see your feet move away from God’s purposes, I want to encourage you to do a couple of things:
When you are tempted to run away from God’s purposes, I hope you’ll stop and commit to taking just one step in his direction. And who knows, years from now, you may find yourself in an incredible place where you never expected to be.
Additional Posts
Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
Learn about the spiritual harmony in Vietnam & how missionaries engage with college students. Join us in sharing the gospel!
Explore Georgia's spiritual heritage and the impact of SEND International's mission. Join us in fostering authentic relationships today!
