Are You Ignoring God’s Safety Features?
My husband and I recently bought a new car. Every time you get a new vehicle, there’s a learning curve that comes with it. I’ll admit, I’m not one to read the owner’s manual, so it took me two years to discover one of the features of my last car. Most of the new features are designed with safety in mind, but my favorite ones are the creature comforts—like heated seats and steering wheel!
Turning Off Safety Features
I’ve been surprised at how many people choose to turn off the safety features in their vehicles because they find them aggravating. My husband, Joe, and my brother-in-law are prime examples when it comes to the lane assist feature.
Joe was driving my car the other day, and he tends to switch lanes without using his signal light. When he tried to pass a slow-moving car, my car wasn’t happy about him skipping the signal. The lane assist feature “pulled” the car back slightly. Joe won the lane battle, of course, but he wasn’t pleased with the car’s interference and quickly disengaged the feature.
Later, when we pulled into our narrow garage, another feature came into play. The car vibrated his seat whenever he got too close to the sides. The first time this happened, Joe was baffled: “What the heck made my seat vibrate?” After that, it just annoyed him because, as he put it, “I already know I’m close to the sides!”
I teased him about being frustrated with the car’s safety features, pointing out that they’re there for his protection. Using the turn signal and letting the car nudge him back into the lane could be helpful one day—even life-saving.
Ignoring God’s Safety Features
As I thought more about it, I realized I might be doing the same thing in my spiritual life. I love the creature comforts the Lord has blessed me with, but I sometimes ignore His safety features.
How many times have I felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit warning me to avoid a certain place or situation? Or that subtle, uneasy feeling that I shouldn’t be watching a particular show or engaging in a specific conversation? Too often, I’ve brushed it aside, thinking I know better, just like Joe with the car.
God’s Warnings Are for Our Good
The Bible is full of safety features designed to guide and protect us. Here are a few verses that remind us to listen to God’s wisdom:
Proverbs 14:7 (NIV)
7 Stay away from a fool, for you will not find knowledge on their lips.
1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV)
33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
Psalm 1:1-2 (NIV)
1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
These warnings might feel restrictive, but they are for our good. God’s Word helps us steer clear of dangers we might not even see coming. The Holy Spirit nudges us, much like the lane assist feature in a car, to keep us on the right path.
Are You Listening to His Guidance?
So, here’s the question: Are we ignoring God’s safety features because we find them inconvenient? Are we so focused on the creature comforts of life that we tune out the Holy Spirit’s voice?
I’m sure we all need to pay closer attention to those nudges. The next time we feel the Holy Spirit warning us about a decision, let’s choose to listen and trust that God’s guidance is always for our protection and our good.
To GOD Goes The Glory
Have A Blessed Day
Let’s End with a Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gentle nudges of the Holy Spirit that guide us and keep us on the right path. Forgive us for the times we’ve ignored Your warnings or brushed them off as inconvenient. Help us to trust in Your wisdom and to listen closely to Your voice. Thank You for loving us enough to protect us, even when we don’t realize we need it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
How true that we ignore God’s gentle nudges. I have noticed his wisdom begins as gentle nudges and become stronger and stronger until a bolder falls!
I try to pay attention as I know these nudges are simply for my own good. Hopefully I have become more aware and learn from each.
God bless, Merry Christmas
great message and prayer, thank you!
You have a way with words, Tania. Thank you
Thank you for the reminder to listen to the gentle nudges of the HOLY SPIRIT.
I agree with the other ladies, beautiful post and the message hit home. Thank you Tania !
Amen. Thank you for the message
I love your Sunday posts! This is so spot on today! Thank you!
Blessings!
Yes my husband ignored the safety feature in changing lanes. Had a slight side swipe. Fortunately no one was injured but the repairs are costly. Just like ignoring God can be costly.
I love your Sunday Devotionals❤️
I LOVE your Sunday posts, but especially today. I told my husband about Joe not using his turn signal, and the vibrating seat, and we both chuckled. My husband also likes to switch off these “smart” helpers. Sometimes I don’t even know we have them and it will flash, alert and slow my car down….I usually freak out, but my husband just says it’s because I am coming up on a slower moving vehicle too fast or getting too close to the lane lines. For whatever reason, I sit up and take notice and stay more alert. Wouldn’t it be nice if we would always be that alert? Sometimes life just gets in a “cruise control” motion and we don’t pay as much attention to what we should. Thanks for reminding us that our little safety features are put there for a reason…and that sometimes we all need that little nudge or seat vibration to get back on the right path! Amen to your prayer!
I don’t mind it when the car slows down when I’m approaching another vehicle. But, I hate it when it sees a car on the side of the road that it thinks I’m going to hit and suddenly the entire dash lights up bright red with an alert. It is irritating because I’m aware of the vehicle, but it would be a blessing if I hadn’t seen the car.
Thank you for this message!
Great post today!
My husband is the same
I too purchased your sisters book “Hope in the Holler ” for my granddaughter – can’t wait til she reads it and I will too!
I won your Amazon gift card last week 🙂
I need the nudge today to listen to what the Lord has to say. Thank you.
I loved today’s post!
I never thought about little warnings and nudges as God’s safety features but I love it!
I too have been guilty of ignoring them and I need to pay more attention and listen to the Lord’s leading.
Thank you, Tania!
What a beautiful ending prayer! 💕
Very beautiful, Tania. Such a good message. I really hope Joe starts using his turn signal more often. It drives me crazy when people don’t signal. lol!
This message is a great reminder for me. Like you, we love being able to heat or cool our seats. I love the heated steering wheel because I have raynauds syndrome in my fingers. We appreciate the safety features, even if they are a bit aggravating because like you said, they very well may save our lives and/or the lives of others one day. There are blind spots in most vehicles, so being alerted that a vehicle is there is awesome. A lot of times I make it a game to see if I can keep the line alert graphic green, meaning I’m keeping the vehicle where it should be, instead of making it turn yellow.
Awesome analogy! Made me think about engaging in a conversation that makes me uncomfortable or watching show that makes me uncomfortable (swear words). Thank you.
not only do I love this message today, I won an Amazon gift card from Tania! I just love this blog and read it every morning. Thanks for brightening my day and for all the awesome recommendations.
Congrats on the gift card! I enjoyed it when I won it a while back.
Love how you tied the car story and the devotional together. How simple life’s stories can be. ⭐️👍
Thank you for the prayer this morning.
I have certainly felt hus Nudges many, many times!! Recently, I’ve felt it with a non-believer friend I’ve known for 15 years. I keep hoping my faith will rub off on her, but whenever we’re together, I feel Him nudging me towards backing away from her. I guess old habit and friendships are difficult to shake. Work in progress!
It is hard to move away from friends, even if we know they are a bad influence. We hope “our” influence will change us, but there is always a chance that they will be the one doing the influence.
This is a good read for my Sunday morning. I like the analagies, Bible verses and life application message that you connect together. It helps me do some reflecting on my thoughts and actions.
Thank you for your inspirational messages.
Your Joe is just like MY hubby, who also does not care for lane-assist and a few other safety features of my vehicle. I agree with you that they are there for a reason! 😊 And I really like your “safety” Bible verses in today’s post!
This Faith post is wonderful! I look forward to using your thoughts as table conversation at Christmas with my husband and son who is a parts manager for a car dealership. They often discuss, favorably and unfavorably, about safety features in cars. Faith needs intervene in their discussions! Enjoy your new car and Merry Christmas.
Thank you for sharing God’s word and the love of God!
Amen. Especially this week when I tend to get so busy with last minute Christmas tasks- I need to slow down and feel the nudge!
Thank you for sharing the above devotional. The Holy Spirit nudges are so important to pay attention to. When I look back over my life I realize that my mistakes in my life, my messes have been due to ignoring and/or brushing off the nudges only to wish after the fact that I had not only paid closer attention but had acted, reacted according to the nudges rather than doing my thing. Thank you again so much for your life and witness.
Great message!!! Thank you, Tania! Happy Sunday 🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻
Thank you for your Sunday posts! I feel the Holy Spirit leading me to stay on the right path but also to reach out to others who don’t know the Lord. I need to be more bold in this area.
Thank you for this post!! I love all of your devotions! ❤️
Amen!
I love this!
So true!
I purchased “Hope in the Holler” I really enjoyed it!
That’s wonderful!!! I’ll tell my sister that you enjoyed it.
Thank you so much! I really needed this. I love these Sunday post! Have you ever considered writing a devotional book where all your devotions could be found in one place? I would purchase it, say at a place like Amazon 😀
I agree with you R! Tania you have a gift! I would buy it for Christmas presents! 🎄
Wow! What a great lesson! I was raised in the Church of Christ and never studied the Holy Spirit much. Last year my Wednesday night teacher did an in depth study. Now I always thank God for instilling the Holy Spirit in me to keep me on the right path!
Same, Meta. I was also raised in the Church of Christ, and I can’t remember the Holy Spirit ever being talked about. I was shocked to learn that He was a person and walked with me daily.
What a great message! Blessing Tania!
Thank you. Good reminder