Is that a sign?

Caution - Hot Surface!  Caution - Wet Floors!  Caution - Right Lane Closed Ahead! These are all words of 'caution' - advising us not to do something, or proceed without any thought at all. We each have had those moments in time when we would say we were not exercising much caution, or being aware of what we were doing (at least consciously). These are moments or seasons when we threw caution to the wind. How did that work for you? If you were like me, probably not as well as you had hoped!

Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe. (Proverbs 28:26 NLT)  When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful. (Proverbs 29:18 NLT)

When we trust our own insight at the exclusion of warnings clearly revealed for our safety, we are in dangerous territory. I think we are all reminded of the need to 'take caution' every place we look right now. Social media is streaming warnings to wash your hands, cover your cough, and to avoid each other in order to shut down the spread of the virus. There are all manner of 'cautions' we receive in life each day, some are just 'right out there', while others are kind of just 'felt' rather than seen. The ones we see are like the warning sign on the side of the road that tells us to watch for deer crossing the road. Even with the signs, we don't always perceive the threat. It took seeing one deer and her fawn on the roadside to get my attention and to keep it focused! I love nature, but especially when I get to see the "wee ones". The signs are there to help build our awareness of the danger. The thing is, when I actually saw the beautiful creatures, something connected. I was suddenly aware of the risks of driving in those heavily wooded areas.

I could ignore the signs, but I would place myself, and my passengers, at greater risk if I did. What we don't always realize is the fact we rarely "travel" alone. We almost always impact another by our inattentiveness. My risk-taking and ignoring clear signs place those who travel with me at risk, as well. God gives us insight - what we do with it determines how well we will come out in our journey through life. Insight is capacity - capacity to gain an accurate and deep understanding of a matter. it comes from the root which means to have inner sight - mental vision (in other words, wisdom). We all have much "vision" - but how much "mental vision" do we really possess? God's greatest challenge comes in moving us from just reacting to what we see to really understanding and forming purposeful actions based on what we comprehend. I saw the deer signs. When I slowed down, peering carefully through the windshield watching for the tell-tale signs of life in the woods and fields, I was moving from "sight" to "inner sight". I was taking the matter to heart. Insight (inner sight) impacts actions only when what becomes "mental vision" lines up with what God reveals.

We can rely upon our own mental vision - but the actions will lack the integrity they deserve. When we allow God to give us clear mental vision, we begin to see actions change in a positive way. You may be clearly seeing some "signs" of warning today all around you. Allow God to take them from the place of being just your own "sight" to being "inner sight". Then they will impact your actions and keep you in a place of safety! Just sayin!