Fight or Flight
Flight is when the person confronted by their fear turns their back on the fear and takes off.
Reference: v.3 Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the plans of the wicked? (TNIV Bible)
Explore: Psychologists say that when someone is confronted by a fear they will do one of two things: fight or flight. Fight is when the person confronted by their fear fronts up to the fear and takes it on. Flight is when the person confronted by their fear turns their back on the fear and takes off. Do you know someone who has a tendency towards ‘flight’? I had a friend who would always back away from any kind of confrontation. Whenever a challenge came up they would always seem to find an excuse to leave the room or walk away. Now, there are always times when its important to just walk away however there are also situations when it’s important to hold your ground.
Application: I respect Job for not taking flight. When he was going through an incredibly painful time in his life he didn’t run away from God. In the tenth chapter of Job we find him confronting God, asking some pretty strong questions. Sometimes we hold back on confronting God because we think we might be blaspheming by questioning our great and mighty Creator. However, God prefers to engage with us rather than us turning our backs on Him. For some people it only takes a small challenge before they start to doubt God and turn away. However, if our faith is deep and strong then we will be like Job in the dark moments: we will be honest about our pain and look to God for understanding.
Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we doubt You and turn our backs on You. In our times of trouble, may we turn to You and be brave enough to ask the difficult questions. Amen.
Do you tend to fight or take flight?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.