Run, Run, Run

• What are three things you would run away from?

• What makes people stay in bad situations when they should be running away from them as fast as they can?

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
2 Timothy 2:22

“Flee” is an unusual instruction for Christians. In other Bible verses, we find commands such as “stand firm” and “resist,” words that call for courage and a fighting spirit. So what’s different about this verse? The apostle Paul is talking about the evil desires of youth.

Here’s where things get tricky. We’ll face temptations our whole lives. That’s part of living in a sinful world. But the temptations of youth are especially dangerous.

Part of the problem is immaturity. Young people don’t have the life experience to understand why certain things are harmful or how they can lead to lifelong issues.

Another issue is that physical development can cause problems. When we’re young, our hormones are raging, our adrenaline is flowing and our judgment is sometimes clouded. Trying to battle evil desires with those disadvantages is a bad idea. It’s not a fair fight.

When you’re young and face temptations, the wise thing to do is run. Don’t give them a chance to become a problem. Rob them of their power. You’ll be glad you did.

PRAYER
Dear God, give us the wisdom to know when we should take a stand and when we should flee. Protect us from danger. Amen.