The other day I bought a piece of glass that had a warning attached to it: “This glass may have sharp edges.”

The company wanted to make sure every person who purchased their product would be thoroughly informed, so it printed the warning in 19 languages. In other words, it was made as easy as possible for consumers to stay safe.

God has done the same thing with his warnings, not necessarily with 19 languages in one document, but definitely with words. In the Bible he repeats warnings over and over in an effort to persuade us, wanting us to avoid mishaps just like the glass company does.

For some people, listening is all the caution they need to stay out of trouble. God says, “Watch out!” and they do. Others consider themselves the one exception to every rule and plow past warning signs, assuming nothing untoward is going to happen. They figure the odds are in their favor. Still others believe that most warnings are exaggerations, and on that basis they can be disregarded.

But when God says “don’t” followed by “if you do,” it’s more than just a casual suggestion. He’s really saying, “Don’t hurt yourself by doing such and such. Your life will turn out better if you follow the water-tight counsel I’m giving you. Ignore it to your own peril.” Yet setting aside the “peril” part, we can be pros at the ignoring.

Whatever God says goes, and once he has told us to “Watch out,” if we haven’t, he usually lets us find out why we should have. But lest we think all his advice is “you’d better not,” he’s quick to include plenty of “how about this?”

Scripture includes far more positive promises than worrisome warnings. Instead of, “Don’t do this” God often says, “Do this…. and then watch my blessing flow!” So we can either “Watch out!” or just “Watch….” If we heed the warnings and claim the promises, it’s win-win.

As for that sheet of glass with its 19 warnings, I was so intent on studying the different languages that I cut myself on its sharp edges.

“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14)