Walking with the Wise #154: The Danger of Ignoring Instruction

“Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction,
but whoever heeds reproof is honored.”
—Proverbs 13:18

Solomon understood our tendency to ignore God’s Word. We don’t like it—the restrictions, the rules, and all of the things that go with it. However, we misunderstand what God’s Word is and what it means for us. It is not restrictive, but freeing. No one considers the guardrails on an expressway restrictive. No, they are there to help direct traffic and protect drivers. But, to cross the guardrails, there will be terrible consequences facing us. The same is true if we neglect or ignore God’s Word. There are consequences facing us temporally, such as poverty and disgrace, but if we continue on, death and judgment await.

God’s Word is the first place where we receive instruction and we must make sure to not only hear the Word, but do what it says. Time and time again throughout Scripture, Jesus was calling people to listen to what He was saying, using phrases such as “He who has ears to hear, let him hear”—Matthew 11:15 (Matthew 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8, 14:35). If we ignore God’s Word, we do so at our own peril. Allow me to explain.

Several years ago, when I was a teenage boy, I had a car that was constantly giving me problems. Being automotively ignorant, I had an uncle that helped me whenever I had car problems. One day, I noticed that my temperature gauge kept going into the red and although I didn’t know much about cars, I knew that if I kept ignoring the gauge, I did so at my own peril. Realizing that I had an engine problem, my uncle suggested we drive it to the nearest auto garage to get it worked on, which was several miles away. As we drove there together, the gauge would climb higher and higher. I would pull over and let the engine rest a minute so that the gauge would go back down. We did this several times on the way. Finally, as we got within a mile of the auto garage the gauge crept back up. This time, my uncle told me to keep driving, so I did. The gauge kept climbing higher and higher. I told him that I should pull over and he kept saying, “It will be fine.” I listened to him and kept going. The next thing I know flames are coming from out under my hood and black smoke is pouring into the car. We pulled over and got out of the car, just in time to shut off the car and save the engine. The flames stopped and we went to a house nearby to call a tow truck (this was the age before cell phones) to pick up the car and take it to the garage.

I learned an important spiritual lesson that day. God’s Word is like a temperature gauge. The more that we ignore it, the more we invite destruction on our life. Listening to others is good, but if they violate God’s Word they must be ignored. I should have listened to what the car was telling me more than my uncle, knowing that if I had done so, then I would have not had my car’s engine catch on fire.

Ignore instruction, invite destruction; listen to instruction, invite honor and blessing. God has given us His Word to know how to live properly in such a way as to have His blessing, and to forsake the way that would invoke His wrath. Read the Word and do what it says and you will begin on the path whereby you are blessed. Ignore the Word and you do so at your own peril, knowing that destruction is just around the corner!

God’s Word is the only true way to order our life, so may each one of us not only hear the words of Scripture, but do what it says for the glory of Almighty God and our abundant joy. Amen.