There’s nothing that frustrates me more than hitting every light on yellow seemingly all day. It just works out that way with the synchronization. If you hit one, you’re going to hit the next five. Ahh! So obviously my patience gets tested now and again. I’m pretty sure I’m not passing the test as this situation seems to present itself often. Oh well. I’ll keep trying. 

Seriously, if you think about it, traffic lights are so necessary. If you don’t think they’re that important, let a storm knock one out at a busy intersection. It’s quite a dangerous situation. Nobody knows whose turn it is to stop or go. Pretty soon, chaos overtakes the scene and the inevitable wreck is usually not far away. I need to remind myself of this the next time I hit several “yellows” in a row! Like traffic lights, Jesus knew we would need professional navigation in this world. We’re not smart enough to make the right decisions directionally in every situation that arises. “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.” (‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT)‬‬

This is such a wonderful promise from our Lord. When He walked the earth, He was only in one place at a time. Now, He’s seated at the right hand of The Father making appeals for us. He sent His very own Spirit to live inside of each of His children so that He can be with us all of the time. This means that we have a built-in navigation system. Actually, much better than that. The Holy Spirit is always with us and doesn’t need charging. He’s alive and well inside of believers all over the world directing our lives! “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭37‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Sometimes life is pretty easy going and we’re given the green light to just traverse our way through the day. Every once in a while a “red light” pops up from out of nowhere. The Lord is saying, “Pump the brakes. There’s danger and you don’t need to get involved.” The tricky situations are usually the “yellow lights”. In the natural, a yellow light screams proceed with caution. If you’re pretty familiar with whatever particular road system you’re traveling, you certainly know whether to stop or keep going. In life’s situations, a caution from The Holy Spirit can go either way based on our decision. It’s at these times that the enemy can wreak havoc in your life if you ignore God’s wise counsel. The Bible says, “lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.” (‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬) When we’re in an uncomfortable circumstance in life, we better stop and pray. We need to understand that without The Lord’s guidance in this situation, the enemy will take advantage of us. He’s just looking for an opportunity to cause a “wreck”. 

Let’s say you’re having to have a serious conversation with a loved one. This is a major yellow light exchange of words. You know their tendencies and yours. Proceeding with caution is advised here. The Lord wants a good outcome and so do you. The enemy wants to use this opportunity to drive a wedge in this relationship. Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. Ask Him to give you the right words to say and not allow the enemy to twist your words. Ask the Lord to prepare your heart and their heart and mind for the conversation. At this point, you can expect a positive outcome. You’ve proceeded with caution and gotten The Lord involved. A worst case scenario is not consulting Jesus and just jumping in with an angry tone and possible accusations. This is not going to go well. The Holy Spirit gives us caution but we have to be obedient to His promptings. We have a choice in the matter and our choices produce outcomes. This is why obedience is important for the child of God. We can’t earn His love by being obedient but this act of submission can certainly save our earthly relationships and keep us from certain trouble. 

The “traffic” we face every day in our personal lives can be tough. Thank God He has sent His Spirit to lead, guide and direct us in every situation we will ever face. Be sensitive to His directions. Stay alert as to what He’s doing in your midst. This will bring a level of safety and peace to your life and quite possibly the lives of those around you. “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26‬:‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬) You can throw caution to the wind and end up in a ditch or you can avoid many potholes on the road of life. The choice is truly your own. It all depends on who is directing traffic.

Today’s writer is Brandi Crowe. A hairdresser for over 25 years, she is currently the owner of Brandi Crowe salon in Buford, GA. She loves hiking, a good cup of coffee, and spending time with family and friends. Brandi lives in a custom farmhouse with her husband Robby and cat Harold.