I was moved by a testimony of a woman who met a man after she had given up on the prospect of ever getting married. He is someone who had almost given up on life himself. His name is James, and he lived in a small southern town where he had been a high-school football hero. After receiving a scholarship to play ball at a college located in a metropolitan city, James was excited and thrilled beyond belief, but he was also overwhelmed. He was unprepared for all the things thrown his way, both good and bad. In his junior year of college, he got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and lost everything; including his freedom. He did almost three years in prison. The last thing he ever wanted to do was to go back to his hometown and see the disappointment in the faces of those who had such high hopes for his future. With no connections, no money, and no place to live, that’s exactly what he thought he’d have to do.

People will often say, “But for the grace of God go I.” They recognize that a set of bewilderingly challenging circumstances can topple our lives at any moment but for the reality that we are covered under God’s enormous grace. They also realize, although it is often an enigma, that it is true that bad things do indeed happen to good people. But we must know that God warns us of impending danger, and so often our radars are not tuned in to Him, and we miss it.

In His Word, God has shown us the triumphs and downfalls of being human. He has given us historical truths that demonstrate our transformation and evolution. We’ve gone from covering our shame with fig leaves to coveting the manipulation of fabric by clothing designers for thousands of dollars. We’ve gone from getting place to place on foot to traveling to the moon in rockets designed by engineers. All in all, it can be said that some things have remained the same, but much more has changed since Heavenly Father created us.

Our choices appear to be limitless. But as James found out, everything that’s out there isn’t for us specifically. There are some people, relationships, and situations that can potentially place us on a path that is dangerous not just to our lives on earth, but to our destinies in the Will of God. These things are often cloaked by the devil to look like a blessing. They are counterfeits, and we can’t see it.

God tells us in the New Testament, James 4:6, that He gives grace generously, for He opposes the proud and gives grace to those that are humble. Pride and grace can’t dwell together, and many of us find this out the hard way because we won’t listen to God and heed His Word. We think we can do this thing called ‘life’ by ourselves. We can’t. Jesus Christ tells us in John 15:5(NLT), “For apart from me you can do nothing.”

During his high-school and college years, James was lovingly warned often by those in his family and faith community. They knew the dangers and warned him to steer clear of certain people and circumstances, because they wanted him to succeed. It wasn’t until he experienced the harshness of life that he looked back and recognized God’s warning through the voices of those who understood and respected God’s Word.

2Timothy 1:7(NLT) says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” It’s the spirit of self-discipline that comes into play primarily when it concerns our willingness to obey and heed God’s warnings. We see very clearly that God didn’t slap the apple out of Adam’s or Eve’s hands. He warned them not to eat of the tree, just as He warns you and I not to allow the lust for certain things to overtake us. The spirit of self-discipline is called the human-will or the gift of free-will. God has given us this gift of free-will or self-discipline, and He will not overstep it or take it back. If we don’t obey, He will allow us to make mistakes, but the overwhelming generosity of His grace also gives us an opportunity to learn from our mistakes.

God has given us the gift of free-will in hopes that we will align our wills with His Will. Again, His grace in this gift is undeniable, for He doesn’t force us to do anything. We make the choices. If we choose in a way that honors God, the impact is phenomenal. A right choice will always expand and increase us, as well as the many others that are connected to AND through us.

Someone gave James a helping hand ten years ago when he got out of prison. He was thankful to God for a second chance, and because of it he became the man he is today. He doesn’t have a lot, lives modestly, and has a level of loyalty and commitment to those he cares about that is unyielding. He met Patricia, the woman who thought she’d never marry, almost two years ago. He told her that he knew instantly he wanted her to be his wife. He wouldn’t even ask her to marry him until he saved enough money to buy a nice ring. He’s a treasure of a man by most any woman’s standards, and it is learning the discipline of listening and obeying God that made the difference not just in his life, but Patricia’s life as well.

When we do the things that the Lord tells us not to do, life can empty us of every treasure. But when we learn a lifestyle of patiently enduring, humbling ourselves before God through the Lord Jesus Christ, and being careful about our choices, we can be transformed into the person we’re meant to be. We will be a treasure to God’s Kingdom, to ourselves, and to the person who has been praying to cross our paths.■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“When the Lord Tells You Not to Do Something, and You Do It Any Way”, written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.