By Michael Ritchie
“Run, Forrest, Run,” Jenny yelled as Forrest was being chased by the bullies. Gump was born with a spine shaped like an “s” as he put it. His Doctor put him in leg braces to straighten his legs and hopefully straighten his spine. The movie shows him running and as he picked up speed his braces flew off. Forrest realized something: “I could run like the wind blows! From that day on, if I was ever going somewhere, I was running!”
He ran to go somewhere, he ran in football, he ran from the enemy in Vietnam, he ran to save his friends during battle, Forrest ran to Jenny in the Washington pool, he ran across the country 3 times. Forrest ran for many reasons, but sometimes “for no reason at all” because he just felt like running! Just like it says in the book of Ecclesiastes 3:1.
Ecclesiastes 3
To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
There were times when Forrest didn’t run when he could have. He could have run out on Lt. Dan or given up on his first and only girlfriend Jenny and he could have backed out on his promise to his “good, best friend Bubba.” Bubba and Forrest had planned on going 50/50 in the shrimping business. But unfortunately, Bubba “instead of being a shrimp boat captain, he died right there next to that river in Vietnam.” So, when Forrest hit it big in the “Shrimpin’ Bizness,” he went to settle up with Bubba’s family. His mother was so glad to hear about this she responded, “are you crazy or just plain stupid?” Integrity, to most the word means nothing, but to Forrest, it was just the right thing to do. He didn’t run from his promise; it is just what good people do. There is another word closely related to it and that is sincerity. Integrity comes from two Latin words: 1. Sine-(without) 2. Cera-(wax) or without wax. In the past, people used pottery for everything, and cheap pottery would have the holes or flaws filled with wax to hide their imperfections. Once the person returned home and put a hot beverage in a cheap cup, they would find out that the person selling them the cup had no integrity and neither did their work.
n Genesis Chapter 39, we see that Potiphar’s wife wanted Joseph to lie with her. After all, with the very difficult things that had happened to Joseph, who would blame him if he gave in to some temporary pleasure? But Joseph had integrity. This sin was not consistent with who he had become. Joseph replied to her, “how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” Verse 39:12 she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and ran and got out of the house. He ran. Sometimes running isn’t a sign of a coward, but a sign of someone with integrity. 2 Timothy Chapter 2 talks about two people that were weakening people’s faith by saying there is no resurrection of the dead. Paul told Timothy to depart or flee from people like that. He was also to run from youthful lust because the devil lies in wait to destroy those who fall into that trap.
Proverbs 28:1 says evil people run even though no one is chasing them. But good people are as brave as a lion. Yes, there are times to stand our ground and times to run. God is testing and trying us to work out our imperfections so that we will have integrity just like him.
Hebrews 4:15
For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
The movie never shows us the end of Forrest’s life, but I bet he was running straight into the arms of God.
He has known you all your life
He can turn the wrongs to right
Knows we’re not perfect, loves us still
Make us new life if we will
By His Spirit become born again
Just, Run into the arms of Jesus
Michael L. Ritchie DC
John 3:
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him
