The Stop Light

It was the summer of 2013. I had just turned 16 years old and got my license from the DMV. I was so excited that I no longer had to drive with my parents in the passenger seat. That same day, I drove off to my friends house because we were going together to see a concert in Houston. That was when it happened. I took a left at a stop light under a bridge expecting the next one to be in sync with the first one but the problem was, it wasn’t. Not paying attention, I went straight through the red light and slammed against the side of another car. I couldn’t believe it. The day I got my license was the day I got in my first accident. I learned a valuable lesson that day; pay attention to the stoplight!

Just as I learned how important it is to pay attention to the stop lights on the road, I’ve also come to realize just how important it is to pay attention to the stop lights that God places in our lives. Sometimes, we are so eager to reach our destination, that we forget slow down or even stop for a while to get God’s direction before speeding on ahead. This can lead to destruction and could cause a crash both for ourselves and the people around us.

In the book of Judges, there is a character named Samson that had a tendency to ignore God’s stop lights. Samson, known for his incredible strength, was chosen by an angel of the Lord at a very young age to be a great leader and a judge of Israel. The angel commanded his parents that as a Nazirite, Samson was never to cut his hair, touch a dead body, or drink anything containing alcohol.

However, Samson often chose to listen to his own desires instead of doing what his parents commanded. For example, in Judges chapter 16, Samson, was seduced by a Philistine woman named Delilah. The Philistine rulers went to her and said “see if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him.” (Judges 16:5)

So Delilah went to Samson and asked him if he would tell her the secret to his strength. The first couple times she asked, Samson lied to her but then day after day, her nagging wore down on him until he was extremely tired. (Judges 16:16) He finally told her how keeping his hair long was the secret to his strength. Delilah then told the Philistine rulers to shave off his braids while he was asleep. They did so and when he woke up, all of his strength had left him. (Judges 16:19)

This passage is an excellent example of what happens when we refuse to listen to God’s stoplights. Samson had become so used to relying on his own strength and power that he failed to realize it was God’s power working through him all along. By not stopping and considering what the Lord commanded, he chose to speed on ahead which ultimately led to his tragic death.

Today, think about your own decision making and how it affects your future self and those that are around you. The Bible says, “submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) When temptation comes knocking, don’t try to fight it in your own strength like Samson; resist the devil by submitting and relying on God’s strength. That could look like calling a friend or going on a walk and listening to worship music or a podcast.

Or when you are so angry that you can’t see straight, pause and use self control before you say or do something you might regret. It’s in these moments when we rely on God’s guidance rather than our own emotions, that we save ourselves much pain, regret, and heartbreak in the future.

Whether it’s a nudge to pause and reflect, a clear warning to stop, or a green light to move forward, God’s guidance is always for our good. He knows when it’s time for us to move forward, when we need to slow down, and when it’s necessary to stop and wait.

The Bigger Picture: By paying attention to God’s stoplights, we avoid unnecessary collisions and stay on His plan for our life.