Can You Really Run From What God Has Called You To?
A Reflection on the Book of Jonah
“The Lord gave this message to Jonah… ‘Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh…’ But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord” (Jonah 1: 1-3).
The story of Jonah is often reduced to the whale, but it’s really about something deeper: what happens when we run from what God has called us to do. Before we dive in, it’s important to acknowledge something: Jonah wasn’t running because he felt unqualified or afraid. He ran because he didn’t want God to show mercy to the Ninevites. He had an issue with them. But even though his reason was different, the behavior is the same, he ran from God’s calling.
And if we’re honest, we do the same thing. Maybe not out of pettiness, but out of fear, doubt, or feeling unprepared. The calling feels too big, too unrealistic, or too overwhelming, so we go in the opposite direction.
Running Will Cost You More Than Obedience
God gave Jonah clear instructions, and immediately Jonah chose to go the opposite way. Nineveh was hundreds of miles east, but Jonah decided to travel thousands of miles west to Tarshish. He was so committed to running that he was willing to go further, work harder, and spend more just to avoid obedience.
That hit me deeply, because I’ve done the same thing. Even during the time I stepped away from my podcast, I never stopped thinking about it. If anything, it weighed on me more. I could see what my life would look like if I stayed consistent, if I fully committed, if things actually worked, and that scared me. The idea of my life changing for the better felt overwhelming, and because I didn’t feel ready or qualified, I stopped.
What’s hard to admit is that I wanted everything God showed me. I wanted to be impactful, to grow, to change, but I was also afraid of it. So instead of moving forward, I paused… thinking that stopping would quiet the anxiety. But running doesn’t bring peace, it just delays obedience.
God Will Interrupt What You Use to Escape
As Jonah ran, God sent a violent storm that threatened to destroy his escape plan“But the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart” (Jonah 1:4). Jonah thought he had found a way out, but God threatened the very thing he was using to escape.
That’s something we don’t always talk about: God will threaten whatever you’re using to avoid Him. Not to punish you, but to redirect you.
Everyone on the ship was panicking, except Jonah. The sailors were crying out to their gods, doing everything they could to survive, while Jonah was asleep. It took someone waking him up for him to even acknowledge what was happening.
And honestly, that’s what running can look like. You can be in the middle of chaos, ignoring what God is trying to show you, trying to “sleep through” the calling instead of facing it.
You Can’t Outrun God
When the sailors realized Jonah was the reason for the storm, they were terrified. Even though they didn’t serve the same God, they recognized His power. They had faith in something higher, but now they were witnessing the authority of the one true God.
Jonah admits who he is and what he’s done, and when they ask what to do, he tells them to throw him into the sea. Instead of repenting, he would rather die than obey.
And if we’re honest, we may not say that out loud, but we’ve lived it. Sometimes we’ll run to things that slowly destroy us: distractions, habits, addictions, unhealthy patterns, rather than surrender to what God is asking us to do. It may not look like physical death, but it can still drain your purpose, your peace, and your potential.
Even in Disobedience, God Still Moves
The sailors tried to save Jonah, but when they realized they couldn’t, they cried out to the Lord Jonah’s God and threw him overboard and the storm ended immediately. Once the end of the storm, they were worshiping Him, offering sacrifices, and committing their lives to Him.
Even while Jonah was running, God still used the situation to bring people to Him.
That’s how powerful God is. Your disobedience doesn’t stop His plan, it just changes your experience within it. There are still people connected to your calling. There are still lives that will be impacted. The question is whether you’ll participate willingly or be redirected through resistance.
Isolation Isn’t Punishment, It’s Preparation
After Jonah is thrown into the sea, God sends a great fish to swallow him. This wasn’t about comfort, it was about isolation and reflection.
Inside the fish, Jonah should have died. He describes sinking, drowning, being wrapped in seaweed—yet God protected him. Even in his disobedience, God protected him.
God does the same for us. There are seasons where He allows isolation, not to harm us, but to get our attention. To remove distractions. To create space for us to hear Him clearly.
The truth is, many of us avoid silence. We fill every moment with noise: social media, conversations, music, distractions because being still feels uncomfortable. But you can’t hear God clearly when everything else is loud.
Jonah had nowhere to go, nothing to do, and no one to talk to. It took him three days to fully turn back to God. Three days may not sound long, but when you’re alone with your thoughts, it can feel like forever.
Sometimes you don’t need God to force isolation, you need to choose it. Create space to sit with Him, reflect, and listen.
Your Calling Requires Dependence on God
Inside the fish, Jonah finally prays. He acknowledges that his salvation comes from the Lord alone. That’s the shift, he stops relying on himself and turns back to God.
The things God has called you to do will always feel bigger than what you’re capable of. That’s intentional. If you could do it on your own, you wouldn’t need God.
I’ve had to learn that the dreams God placed on my heart aren’t meant to be figured out through my own strength or strategy. They require faith, surrender, and dependence. Working harder alone isn’t what brings the promise to life, trusting God does.
Obedience Still Leads to Impact
When God speaks to Jonah again, the assignment doesn’t change. He tells him to go to Nineveh, again. This time, Jonah obeys.
He delivers the message, and the people believe the message from God. They repent, fast, and turn from their ways. Because of their response, God shows mercy and spares them.
This is why your obedience matters. You don’t know who is on the other side of your “yes.” The sailors were saved. The Ninevites were spared. Lives changed because Jonah eventually obeyed.
The same is true for you. There are people connected to your calling. There are lives that will be impacted by your obedience. Even if it takes time, even if fear is present, your “yes” matters.
Reflection & Shadow Work
Take a moment to sit with this:
📖 Shadow Work Prompt #1: What is something I feel God calling me to do that I keep avoiding?
📖 Shadow Work Prompt #2: Do I secretly believe I know better than God about what my life should look like?
📖 Shadow Work Prompt #3: What “storms” or disruptions in my life might actually be pointing me back toward obedience?
Affirmation & Final Encouragement
God chose me with intention, not by accident.
You can run, delay, or avoid it, but the calling doesn’t disappear.
God is patient, but He is also intentional. He will redirect you, refine you, and, if needed, interrupt your plans to bring you back to Him. So instead of running, choose to respond. Even if you’re afraid. Even if you don’t feel ready. Even if you don’t fully understand how it will work.
Call on God. Lean on Him. Trust Him.
Because you were never meant to do this on your own, and your obedience has the power to change more than just your life.
