by Chadwick Brewer<\/p>\n
“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by<\/em>” (Psalms 57:1).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
So much of the world around us revolves around escapism. In the extreme examples, people escape reality through drugs and alcohol. But in everyday life, we are all tempted to escape from our problems and the struggles of this life. We find escape appealing and easier than facing or fixing our problems.<\/p>\n
We escape from the noise inside our heads by filling our surroundings with constant distractions – TV, YouTube, radio, podcasts, audiobooks, Pandora, etc. We escape from the doldrums of daily living by elaborate trips and excursions. We escape conflict with others by retreating into our sanctum sanctorum and shutting out the world. We escape the struggles in relationships by cutting people out of our lives and divorce.<\/p>\n
But as devotees to God, we are invited not to escape but to find refuge. We are given the opportunity and privilege not to flee into isolation and the hubbub of distraction but rather to find solace and peace in the company of God and the life-giving spring of His Spirit. In escapism and distraction, there is death. In refuge, there is life – and life abundantly. Whenever you feel the pull to escape and distract, turn that into an opportunity to flee to God for refuge. Spend time with Him. Grow in Him. Allow Him to will and to work in you to face life’s struggles.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Chadwick Brewer “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by” (Psalms 57:1). So much of the world around us revolves around escapism. In the extreme examples, people escape…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[1784,1783],"class_list":["post-84422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-avoidance","tag-escapism"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":87417,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/escape\/","url_meta":{"origin":84422,"position":0},"title":"Escape","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 2, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Zeke Flores Now there's a word we think more of lately. Remember when many avenues of escapism - dining out, movie-going, etc. - were taken away from us in hopes of mitigating the virus? Our hopes for escape were higher than ever. One way to be transported to a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/music-200x300.avif","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":56899,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/it-is-so-hard-to-escape-the-sin-in-the-world\/","url_meta":{"origin":84422,"position":1},"title":"It is so hard to escape the sin in the world","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 15, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello there. I have just gotten back into church again and I have been studying the Bible. Almost everything I watch has cuss words in them. I want to buy a language blocker for all my streaming services. It will block out bad language and nudity. Will that still\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":34324,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/sin-synonyms\/","url_meta":{"origin":84422,"position":2},"title":"Sin Synonyms","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 19, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Joan Rieber Sentry Magazine, December 1999 Sometimes reading the scripture in English is like eating diet food, you get volume, but the flavor and texture are lacking. Word studies in the original languages can supply what is missing. The Greek words for 'sin' are especially rich. I am not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":22130,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-can-god-be-loving-if-he-doesnt-let-people-escape-unbearable-situations-through-suicide\/","url_meta":{"origin":84422,"position":3},"title":"How can God be loving if He doesn’t let people escape unbearable situations through suicide?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 10, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: In\u00a0your sermon on suicide, you state: E.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It brings no comfort to the suffering soul. If one takes their own life, then one's unendurable physical or emotional pain is taken away immediately. If God wishes to punish them for wanting some 'morphine for the soul', then he is not really\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3985,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-a-person-doesnt-want-to-live-why-is-suicide-wrong\/","url_meta":{"origin":84422,"position":4},"title":"If a person doesn’t want to live, why is suicide wrong?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 16, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My friend took her own life six years ago when we were both 17. She left me a note that said, \"I have so many things I want to tell you, but I don't know how to say. If we can meet each other in this world again, I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":55397,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-buzzard-bat-and-bumblebee\/","url_meta":{"origin":84422,"position":5},"title":"The Buzzard, Bat, and Bumblebee","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 2, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Author Unknown BUZZARD If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. 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