“What’s the thread between your addiction and your longings for your future?”
“Escape,” he responded.
Given his story, escape made perfect sense. How else could he cope with the overwhelming weight of life? When pain comes—as it inevitably does—we are tempted to seek escape. We often avoid hard conversations in hopes of escaping conflicts and let downs. In an attempt to numb the hurt, it’s easy to scroll, eat a bowl of ice cream, buy something on Amazon, or watch porn.
The global market for pain management drugs is substantial and rising. In 2023, the market was valued at $80.1 billion or $84.07 billion. It is projected to reach approximately $120.9 billion by 2033.
The urge to escape is an ancient temptation. In Genesis, we meet two twins, one with a predilection toward deceit, and the other toward escape. In my mind, deceit feels like the more twisted sin. Yet it was Esau’s escapism that scripture judged more severely.
29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) 31 Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. (Gen. 25:29-34)
We moderns might call out Esau’s decision to sell his birthright as impulsive, desperate, and kind of trivial, right? The author of Hebrews disagrees, “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God…that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears” (Heb. 12:15,16-17). Esau’s decision was disgraceful because he traded something holy for momentary relief.
Our world is perfectly crafted for escape. Sex, alcohol, food, prescription drugs, social media, overworking, living in the past/future, people pleasing, conflict avoidance, over exercising, constant productivity, obsessive cleaning, spiritual bypassing, and streaming services beckon us like Jacob’s aromatic bowl of red stew. The stakes aren’t really that high, are they? What’s wrong with a night bingeing a favorite show? God, after all, delights in rest. Perhaps bingeing is wrong. If we are choosing a show over something more precious God is offering, we may well be selling our birthright, night by night, bowl by bowl.
How do we overcome the temptation to escape? Contemporary Stoics rightly identify escapism as a modern affliction, yet their cure is deficient. A perfect life can’t be built by habit stacking. As I met with the man who identified his longing to escape, he acknowledged that for decades he had been white-knuckling life and that he was worn out.
We lack the internal resources to fix ourselves. We don’t have the willpower or strength to resist every temptation. Israel’s inability to keep the 613 Old Testament laws underscores a deeper truth: apart from the grace of Christ and the power of the Spirit, we are equally incapable and without hope.
Jesus doesn’t offer escape, but he does offer peace. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (Jn 14:27). Our peace is found in his grip, not our escape. He promises, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Is. 41:10). There’s no self-made escape that can satisfy. But the freedom that Christ offers does. Surrender your version of freedom and become his servant.
When tempted to escape – run to Jesus.
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Photo by 🇻🇪 Jose G. Ortega Castro 🇲🇽 on Unsplash