The Geographic Cure

April 15, 2008

By Jerry Scott

A friend, a recovering alcoholic, introduced me to the phrase "the geographic cure." He told me it was a familiar expression at AA meetings. When a drunk has burned everybody in town and used up all his options, he starts to believe the solution to his problem is a new town — somewhere, anywhere, else.

I realized many of us are afflicted with this deception — convinced a new job, another church, a new start in another state or a new lover will bring us happiness. But here is the flaw in that line of thought. When you get there, wherever “there” is, you’re still the person who is there! Unless we deal with ourselves, until we do the work of change by allowing God to transform our mind and our actions, we will just recreate the same set of difficulties.

An ancient prophet, Jonah, decided on the geographic cure. The little book that tells his story starts with these words:

"The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: ‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.’ But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord" (Jonah 1:1-3, NIV).

Imagine thinking you could outrun the Spirit of God, but Jonah thought he could, and so do many people to this day. The Bible does not tell us why Jonah did not want to obey God’s will. Perhaps it was common fear. Going to preach in Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire, was a terror-filled proposition. The Assyrians were a cruel and powerful people. They had conquered nations all over the region and killed anyone who stood in their way. Later in the book, it becomes clear Jonah did not want to even create the possibility for the Assyrians to come to know God. He wanted them to been destroyed by God’s wrath!

Whatever his reasons, Jonah decided that he would go in the opposite direction, as far from Nineveh as possible. Perhaps he thought, "I can preach to the people of Tarshish just as well as the people of Nineveh. Their spiritual need is just as great." But God wanted Jonah in Nineveh! The Lord pursued the prophet across the sea, caught him in the belly of a great fish, and brought about a change of mind during three days.

Are you tempted by the sin of Jonah? Does the way God has led you fill you with fear or dread so that you desire to run for someplace new?

David, penned this song: "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? … If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast" (Psalm 139:7,9,10).

For those who are pursuing God and His will, that is a wonderful promise. The Lord will be with us everywhere, all the time! For those who are trying to run away, that is a terrible reality.

If you are struggling with a life decision, seek God’s guidance and choose obedience now. Let God minister to you. Center yourself in His will. Stop reading the travel brochures that paint all those pretty pictures of some other place, some new situation. Pray for God’s grace to steady you, to develop you, right where you are.

— Jerry D. Scott is senior pastor at Washington (N.J.) Assembly of God.