Running Won’t Save You: What Happens When We Stop Avoiding the Pain
- Jason Henry-Ruhl
- Jul 10
- 3 min read
Disclaimer: This post isn’t about shaming you for coping the best way you know how. It’s about gently inviting you to pause, breathe, and consider a different way—a way that leads to healing.
The Illusion of Escape
Some of us run in obvious ways—quitting jobs, ending relationships abruptly, burying ourselves in busyness, obsessing over fitness, switching churches every few months, endlessly scrolling, binge-watching, or even just emotionally shutting down.
Others run silently—by numbing, pretending, suppressing, or spiritualizing our pain away with phrases like “God’s got this” or “I’m too blessed to be stressed.”
And let’s be honest: in the moment, running can feel like relief. But the cost? That’s often buried, only surfacing later in the form of anxiety, shame, disconnection, or even spiritual exhaustion.
What Are You Really Running From?
That unresolved childhood trauma?
The weight of expectations you feel crushing you?
The disappointment that your life doesn’t look the way you hoped?
The pain of rejection—maybe from someone close, or even from the church?
The haunting question, “Am I enough?”
The truth is: you can’t heal what you refuse to feel. And God doesn’t want to bypass your pain; He wants to meet you in it.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” – Psalm 34:18
The Christian Mask
In faith spaces, we’re often encouraged to “have joy,” “trust God,” and “claim victory.” And while those are powerful and true, they become damaging when they’re used as pressure to avoid real emotional pain.
If you've ever felt guilty for feeling anxious…If you’ve ever apologized for crying during prayer…If you’ve ever heard, “Just pray about it,” when what you needed was someone to sit in silence with you…
You’re not alone. And more importantly: you’re not broken for struggling.
You’re human.
The Body Keeps the Score—And So Does Your Soul
Avoidance, even when spiritualized, doesn’t erase what’s beneath the surface. It just delays it—and often intensifies it. Like a beach ball held under water, our emotions eventually burst upward, often at the worst possible time.
But what if, instead of running, we slowed down?
What if we got curious about what we’re feeling instead of condemning it?
What if we brought our whole selves—fear, confusion, anger, and all—to the God who already knows it all?
When Running Stops and Healing Begins
When you stop running, you may feel overwhelmed at first. That’s okay. It means you’re finally being honest—with yourself and with God.
But you don’t have to do this alone.
One small but powerful tool I created for this very journey is a set of Anxiety Worksheets—designed specifically for Christians who are navigating anxious thoughts and need help naming and processing them through both a psychological and faith-based lens.
They’re available as digital downloads here:👉 Anxiety Worksheets on Etsy
These worksheets walk you through:
Recognizing avoidance patterns
Identifying emotional triggers
Naming the core beliefs behind your anxiety
Anchoring your emotions in Scripture—without bypassing the hard stuff
They aren’t a replacement for counseling or prayer—but they are a tool to help you take that next step out of hiding and toward healing.
You Are Not Too Much. You Are Not Too Broken.
Let me say that again for the part of you that still doubts it:
You are not too much. You are not too broken.
Jesus didn’t flinch at the woman caught in adultery. He didn’t shame the man living in a graveyard. He didn’t run from the leper, the doubter, or the bleeding woman. He drew closer.
And He still does.
So if you’re tired of running—emotionally, mentally, spiritually—know this:
You’re not weak for needing help.
You’re not lacking faith for feeling anxious.
You’re not failing because you’re not “over it” yet.
You’re simply human. And you are loved. Right here. Right now. In the middle of your process.
Your Next Step
If this resonated with you, don’t let the moment pass. Here’s what you can do right now:
Take 5 minutes and breathe. Place your hand over your heart and ask, “What am I running from today?”
Download the anxiety worksheets. Use them as a guided reflection tool. Take it one page at a time. Grab them here.
Reach out. Whether it’s to a friend, a counselor, or through one of our upcoming workshops, don’t walk this road alone.
Stay connected. Subscribe to our email list or follow us on social. We’re building a community that’s committed to mental wellness and faith.
You don’t have to keep pretending.
You don’t have to keep running.
You are safe to stop. You are safe to feel. You are safe to heal.