How do you react when you receive a warning? One way is to continue doing what you’re doing, reasoning, “Well, that doesn’t apply to me.” Another way – especially when it comes to dire weather predictions – is to think, “Yeah, right. That’s what they said last time, and nothing happened. That’s why they predict 80% chance of snow. Because that means 20% chance that it won’t snow, so they’re right either way.”
Then there’s the more stubborn approach to being warned: “Hey, you’re not the boss of me! You can’t tell me what to do!” We might actually say this, or at least think it, determined to disregard what we’ve been told to do.
Most of us don’t like warnings, whatever they happen to be. Because we like our freedom, our autonomy. But even though they’re not wanted, warnings are usually necessary – and often given with our best interests in mind.
While the COVID pandemic was in full force, we received lots of warnings: “Wear a mask.” “Get the vaccine.” “Wear two masks.” “Get the boosters.” “Social distance.” “Stay home.” Perhaps the most literal warning was, “Avoid people like the plague.”
At first, most of us readily complied, glad to help in “flattening the curve.” What’s a couple weeks of sacrifice, temporarily accepting the “new normal,” right? But when the weeks dragged into a month, then months, a year and more, those dire warnings grew old and tiresome. Some of us probably thought, “Okay, I heeded your warnings. Where did that get us?”
Much of the time, warnings we receive are for our good. The parent warns the child, “Hold my hand in the parking lot. Cars are coming,” or, “Don’t run into the street without stopping and looking both ways.” Can you remember your mom or dad warning, “Don’t touch the stove”? They didn’t say that to restrict our freedom – they were concerned about our safety.
As we read through the Bible, we find it filled with warnings. The first warning God ever gave is recorded in Genesis 2:16, when He told Adam and Eve, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
That seemed simple enough. Any tree in the garden of Eden was available to them, except for one. Sadly, for all of humankind – like the toddler told not to touch the hot stove but does it anyway – they decided to sample the forbidden fruit. Until then the first couple had not known about evil, but suddenly they did. The result was a divine eviction notice, along a succession of tragic consequences that continues to this day.
We could regard the Ten Commandments not only as rules given by God for us to follow, but also as warnings – guidelines for living happy, fulfilling lives. They begin with one that all of us, in one way or another, have violated: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). We might not have physical idols displayed prominently in our homes or workplaces, but at times we all have “worshipped” other gods, whether they be spouse, children, the pursuit of success, possessions, even our favorite sports teams. (I know, I might have just quit preaching and started meddling.)
Why is this a warning? Not just because God doesn’t want to share His glory and adoration with anyone or anything else. It’s also because every other “god,” at its best, is flawed and certain to fail us.
The fourth commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20:8), was given not only to commemorate on a weekly basis God’s work of creation and that He rested on the seventh day. It's also because better than anyone, He knows how much we, with our limited physical and mental capacities, also need rest and times to become refreshed. Stress, exhaustion and illness are common byproducts of people refusing to hit the “pause” button in their everyday schedules.
One of my favorite books in the Bible, Proverbs, is filled with warnings from our Creator. For instance, Proverbs 21:23 offers this advice: “He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.” Have you ever said something, whether in anger or out of impulse, that you immediately regretted, only to realize the damage had already been done?
Speaking of anger, we’ve all experienced the impact of that destructive emotion. One way to avoid falling prey to it, either as perpetrator or victim, is not to hang around angry people. As Proverbs 22:24-25 warns, “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.”
This is one of the things I value from reading God’s Word, which I regard as His “owner’s manual.” He made us, He knows who we are – our frailties, faults and flaws – and has graciously provided us with a comprehensive guidebook for successful living. We ignore it to our peril. Proceed at your own risk. Consider yourself warned!
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