There is a road that I travel often which has two advisory signs one after the other. The first is to let the driver know they are approaching a church. The next warns of a side street intersection and says CAUTION. As I was driving this road one day, I read the signs in succession “CHURCH…CAUTION,” and began to ponder the impact of those words.
Some may approach a church with caution. They may walk into a church with trepidation of what they will find within. Is this the kind of church where people will stare and whisper to each other, wear a smile only to turn away, or just maybe will this be the place I can fit in? They may be reluctant to reveal too much of themselves, lest they be judged. This person approaching the church with caution may be wondering if this will be where they find sanctuary, or will it be another failed attempt at finding a church home? Leaving them resigned to think, “I’m better off alone.” My prayer for them would be that no one should feel they need to heed an advisory sign when coming to church.
Another way I thought of the signs “CHURCH” proceed with “CAUTION” is the appeasement mentality that has seeped into many churches. This is where the church itself is proceeding with caution so as not to offend the masses they wish to attract. They preach a watered-down ‘come as you are with no need to feel bad because God is love’ doctrine. This is dangerous as it creates a congregation of believers who are in danger of hearing “I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!” (Matthew 7:23) Yes God is love in that He longed for a created mankind to love Him in return; a creation that rejected His love by their free will to choose to be apart from Him. God is love in that He set a path for redemption to come back into His garden through the way that is Jesus. What is not love is to enable people to bathe in their sin-nature and say they will still be found clean. Such churches should be approached with caution.
In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 23:28 CSB
Holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people. 2 Timothy 3:5 CSB
I then thought of the signs in yet another context when I meditated on 1 Peter 5:8-9. “Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.” (CSB) Anyone who tries to deny that there is spiritual warfare is deceived. There are forces around and within us that battle between good and evil. When Jesus says in Matthew 13: 49-50, “So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, separate the evil people from the righteous, and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,” he makes it pretty clear. With our perceptions on the physical world, it can be secondary to consider the spiritual realm in our everyday lives. That is how we can be vulnerable to the traps of the evil one. As the body of Christ (i.e. Church), we should proceed with caution. Not only for our own spirits but for our role in God’s plan.
Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Ephesians 5: 15-17
While I’m sure the Department of Transportation had no intention of sending me on this theological journey, it was a reminder that there are things all around us that can turn our attention to God. Remember to be alert and open to His prompting. Also, watch for signs.
Author Inspirations of Dellaca Ferraiz Reynolds 