Please Observe the Lighted Signs

While on a recent flight with Joy and our 7 year old son Ethan, the seatbelt sign lit up and the co-pilot gave warning over the speakers that due to turbulance, everyone including the flight attendants need to sit down and fasten seat belts. With the plane going through a bumpy patch and with the mandate to stay seated, Ethan looked up at me with a serious look in his eyes; "Dad, I have to go to the bathroom." I told him that as soon as the seatbelt sign turns off, that I would take him. He replied by saying, "Dad! Really! I have to go to the bathroom, number 2 now!" I quickly evaluated the predicament... The risk of bodily harm due to turbulance or messy pants with smell and 5 hours to go... I chose the risk of turbulance and Ethan and I unbuckled and headed for the toilet. One of the flight attendants immediately got on the loudspeaker and said, "Please Observe the Lighted Signs!" "Ethan and I though we had "observed" the signs, were purposefully ignoring the warning. The flight attendant later gave me a personal speech about how I was risking my life and the life of my son, which I truly appreciate and was correct for her to do, but... If presented with the same circumstances again, I would follow the same course of action.


The term "observe" does not seem to carry with it the same clout as the term "obey." The Bible is filled with helpful laws that most of us are familiar with. The Bible also uses terminology more the line of obedience rather than observation. I see we Christians observing the Bible much of the time... mostly when it is convenient. But when a little bit of turbulance starts shaking our lives, we often begin to observe rather then obey.

The Word of God promises us that God will never give us more then what we can handle. In other words, Ethan would always be able to hold it. It may not be comfortable, but it is possible to endure with Gods help. When God lights the signs through His Word, through His voice, it is not simply enough to observe, but to obey completely.

1 Corinthians 10:12 If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. (NLT)