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Max Lucado tells the story of Charles Robertson in his book, In the Grip of Grace. Robertson entered the Jefferson State Bank in Virginia Beach and filled out a loan application. But instead of waiting for his loan to be approved, Robertson went back to the bank a couple of hours later with a pistol and a note demanding money. Halfway to his getaway car, Robertson realized that he'd left the note with the teller and he went back in and grabbed it. When he returned to the car, Robertson remembered that he'd left the car keys on the bank counter. Instead of going into the bank again, Robertson dashed into a nearby restaurant, stashed the loot and his gun above the ceiling tile in the bathroom, and hightailed it back home. When Robertson arrived at his apartment, his roommate said, "Hey, I need my car." Robertson told his roommate that the car had been stolen and the roommate promptly reported the theft. Police found the car near the bank, and a wise officer discovered that the keys the bank robber had left fit that car. The police went to the registered address for the car, talked to Robertson and his roommate, and Robertson caved in and confessed to the crime.
If you're going to run from trouble, you'd better be more successful than Charles Robertson, or Jonah.
Jonah, you'll remember, ran from God. When God told Jonah, his prophet, to go speak to the people of Ninevah, Jonah boarded a boat for Tarshish, which was about as far in the opposite direction as one could go in those days. God, unwilling to let Jonah off the hook, sent a severe storm, one so nasty that the sailors realized it had a supernatural origin. When they cast lots to see who was at fault, the lot fell to Jonah, and Jonah admitted that he was running from God. To his credit, Jonah wasn't willing to risk the lives of his travel companions. "Pick me up and throw me into the sea," Jonah said, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you" (Jonah 1:12, NIV). The sailors, reluctantly, threw Jonah overboard and the storm immediately ceased.
The rest of the story is familiar to most: Jonah is swallowed by a large fish, spends 3 days in prayer and repentance and is spit up on the coast. When God repeated his command for Jonah to go and speak to the people of Ninevah, Jonah obeyed and the city was spared destruction.
Though the story is familiar, many don't know why Jonah ran when told to go to Ninevah. Bottom line: Jonah was a patriot. Jonah had already advised King Jeroboam II on how he could recover land that had been previously taken from Israel, and Israel's borders had been restored and re-established as a result of Jonah's wise counsel. In fact, Israel was entering a time of peace and security, with only one major threat on the horizon: Assyria. Ninevah was the capital of Assyria. Jonah didn't want to tell the Assyrians to repent precisely because he hoped God would destroy them, assuring Israel's peace and safety for the foreseeable future. Jonah was a selfish jerk. He didn't care if others died, as long as his own people could thrive!
Jonah's story illustrates that harm can arise when good motives lead to wrong actions. Proverbs 21:2 warns, "A person may think their own ways are right, but the LORD weighs the heart." Robin Hood stole from the rich to give to the poor. A mother takes such good care of her kids that she neglects her husband. Dad can be so focused on providing for his family that he forgets how important it is to make time to play with his kids. Doctors don't tell their patients the whole discouraging truth. Politicians and journalists spin facts to manipulate the public toward a favorable outcome. "Little white lies" are sometimes told to avoid hurting someone's feelings. Patriotic citizens can behave like "ugly Americans."
One can't run from this truth: "Good" motives can't result in sinful actions; Believers must examine both motives and actions. While everyone can understand that wrong motives lead to sinful actions, it's harder to grasp that even doing the right thing for the wrong reason, or the wrong thing for a good reason, still results in sin. Give that some thought!