Have you ever looked back on a decision you made and thought, “I knew better”?
It wasn’t because someone warned you after the fact, or that the outcome surprised you. But somewhere deep down, long before everything started to fall apart, something in you already knew.
Maybe it was a relationship you thought would last forever, or a job that sounded too good to be true.
Looking back, the signs were there. The problem wasn’t that we missed them. The problem was that we became really good at making excuses for them.
I’ve been there more times than I care to admit.
In fact, I’ve made enough mistakes to write another book. Most of them happened when God told me to go right and I decided to take a left. He tried to get my attention more times than I can count, but I was convinced I knew what was best for me.
We ask God for direction, then argue with the answer when it doesn’t match what we already want.
Trust me, I’ve done it.
It reminds me of something that happened when I was a kid. My mother constantly reminded me to look both ways before crossing the street. She said it so often I could probably repeat it word for word.
One afternoon, I was headed to the corner store to buy candy. The thought of candy completely took over my brain. Looking back, my decision-making skills were basically led by a pack of Skittles.
I was excited and distracted. And I completely ignored what my mother had taught me.
I didn’t look left. I didn’t look right. I just went. The next thing I knew, I had been hit by a car. As I lay there on the pavement, bruised and dizzy, one thing kept replaying in my mind… my mother’s voice telling me to look both ways.
In that moment, I realized something very important. My mother wasn’t trying to control me. She was trying to protect me.
The funny thing is, that wasn’t the last time I ignored a warning. The consequences looked different as I got older, but the pattern stayed the same. God would nudge me. I would hesitate. Then I’d find a reason to ignore what He was showing me.
Looking back, I spent years asking God for answers while arguing with the ones He had already given me. Even now, I can see it clearly… some of those red flags weren’t subtle at all. They were giant billboards standing on the side of the road, and I just ignored them.
When we ignore what God shows us, it is usually because our desires have outgrown our discernment. It means we want the relationship, the job, or the status more than we want God's will.
The Bible says in Proverbs 22:3, “A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”
Notice it doesn't say God will hide the danger from you. It says the danger can be seen ahead of time. Our deepest pain rarely comes from the enemy's ability to trick us. It comes from our own decision to ignore the truth God already put right in front of our faces. Realizing this changes everything. It shifts our focus from being a helpless victim of someone else’s lies to becoming an active participant in our own spiritual safety.
Let's clear something up: trusting the wrong person is just a human mistake. We cannot read minds. People are really good at wearing masks, especially in the beginning. God does not hold us guilty for being human or for wanting to see the best in others. He made us to love and to connect.
Ignoring what God showed you, however, is a spiritual choice. At some point, the question isn’t whether God is speaking. The question is whether we’re listening.
Jesus said in John 10:27, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
I love that verse because it reminds me that God isn’t distant or silent. He speaks, guides and warns. And because He sees what we cannot see, His guidance is always rooted in love.
I’ve learned that some of the hardest mistakes in my life didn’t happen because God failed to warn me. They happened because I didn’t want to hear the warning.
Galatians 6:7 says, “A man reaps what he sows.” That’s not God punishing us. It’s about the reality of our choices. Every decision plants something. Eventually, something grows.
The good news is this… God’s grace is bigger than our mistakes.
If you’re reading this and realizing you’ve ignored some warning signs, don’t stay trapped in regret. That’s not where God wants you to live. His grace has never been limited by our bad decisions.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
That verse has become deeply personal to me. Because every time I relied only on my own understanding, I eventually found myself wondering how things fell apart. But every time I trusted God… even when His direction didn’t make sense, I later realized He was protecting me from what I couldn’t yet see.
So before you move forward with a major life decision, ask yourself one honest question: What has God already shown me that I keep trying to explain away?
God doesn't reveal things to take something good from us. He reveals things because He loves us enough to protect the future He has planned for us.
Maybe the answer you’re looking for isn’t something you need to find. Maybe it’s something you already know… but haven’t been willing to accept.
Pray with me.
Father God,
Thank You for loving me enough to warn me when I can’t see what’s ahead. Forgive me for ignoring what You’ve shown me because I wanted my own way. Help me recognize Your voice above my fears and give me the courage to trust You, even when it’s uncomfortable. Thank You for Your grace and faithfulness.
