Rules for the RoadSample

Day 4: Pay Attention to the Signs

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, help me to see where danger lies ahead and take refuge from it.

Reading:

Rule number four is: Pay attention to the signs.

When we’re driving, road signs are there for our protection as well as our direction. But some of us think that the signs are for other people. Right? I don't need to slow down around the curve; I'm a good driver. Yellow light . . . that means speed up. But when we see other drivers ignore these signs, we think: Who do they think they are, putting other people's lives at risk? It’s hard for most of us to see ourselves clearly in the mirror. And the same is true in life.

 The author of Proverbs shared this piece of wisdom:

 The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

– Proverbs 22:3

This is a verse to memorize for life. The prudent see the signs, and they respond to the signs. Wise people pay attention to the signs of what's going on around them—with their friends, with their kids, with their marriage. They pay attention to what they see going on financially. Maybe we're not in trouble yet, but we need to slow down on that curve. They see what's going on professionally. They don’t pretend everything is fine. They pay attention to the signs.

It's always tempting to ignore signs. It is most tempting to ignore signs relationally. Relationships are like combustible engines; nothing improves with neglect. But, if we’re honest, one of the reasons we ignore the signs in our relationships is we don't know what to do. We know how to fix other things, but when it comes to relationships, we’re not sure. So, we are tempted to ignore the signs, and we focus our attention on where we do know what to do.

If more than one person has brought something to your attention that you need to think about or work on, that's a sign. The common denominator is obvious—not obvious to you—but it's obvious to those around you. That's a sign.

Another sign is this: Have you ever heard yourself say things like: Okay, don't ever bring that up again, or I don't want to hear about that anymore, or I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine. 

What do you respond to in that way? You're ignoring the signs. You keep ignoring the signs. You're taking the long way, the wrong way, and you may never arrive because the prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple—I'm fine; I know everything I need to know; you're wrong—keep going and pay the penalty.  

But you won't be the only one who pays. Everybody who is looking to you—those you're responsible for, those who depend on you—they're going to pay as well. So, pay attention to the signs.

Reflection:

What signs have you been avoiding? Is there something that someone (or “someones”) has brought to your attention that you need to work on? What action steps will you take to pay attention to the signs in your life?