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.