“Warning After Warning and You Still Insist on Doing it Your Way – Okay – Have It Your Way – But Remember…”

By Lou Yeboah

Every action has a reaction, and I tell you, “I Did It My Way” has severe consequences.  You better know that you know!

“All day long, I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” [Romans. 10: 21]. They “walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices.” [Isaiah 65: 2]. But I tell you, they will soon find out the danger in, “doing it their way.”  In Genesis 27, four people sang that same old song, “I did it my way.” In the end they all came up empty and paid a high price for their selfishness. Listen, there is a real danger in the “I did it my way” philosophy. The lie of autonomy seduces us into thinking that we’re independent creatures with the right to do whatever we want with the life that belongs to us. But listen to the song of Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning, God…” That song is played to a radically different melody. If God was first, our lives have never belonged to us. You and I don’t have the right to think, desire, act and speak as if it does.  If God was, then everything he declares is. That means the universe and everything in it must be seen and understood in a certain way – God’s way.

You know, the last thing Joshua did in the [Book of Judges] was tell the people, “You choose how you are going to live your life” and they did. They did it “their way” and what a mess they made of it.  Over a 350 year period, they went through seven cycles. A cycle would start with the Israelite doing it their way.  As a result, Israel would find herself in slavery. God would then send a leader-a judge-who would bring them out of captivity. Israel would follow for a while. But then another cycle would begin with “doing it their way.” Each cycle was worse than the one before.  God would step in yet again, and for a while peace came over the land. But, overall, the spiraling down of the society continued. I tell you, the danger of “doing it your way” always lead to severe consequences.

For Saul, disobedience in not following God’s instructions had severe consequences. In [1 Samuel 31] Saul was the Lord’s chosen king for the Israelite’s. But rather than trusting that God knew best, Saul’s ego took first place in his heart. When it did, disobedience—doing things his way—became his undoing. Saul lost everything by losing sight of the only thing that mattered: his relationship with the one, true God. Don’t you do! For [Proverbs 14:12] tells us that, “There is a way that seems right to a man but its end is the way of death.”

I tell you, “there are some dire consequences when you don’t do things God’s way. You lose out on the blessings that God has for you when you don’t do things God’s way. You lose out on the victory that God has for you when you don’t do things God’s way. Doors of opportunity will be shut in your face when you don’t do things God’s way. Sleep will leave your eyes and you won’t be able to get any rest when you don’t do things God’s way. You will find yourself disappointed, depressed, and sad when you don’t do things God’s way. You will find yourself in bondage and confused when you don’t do things God’s way. You will find yourself broke, disgusted and frustrated when you don’t do things God’s way. You will find yourself in a whole lot of trouble, you will find yourself in a whole lot of mess, and in a whole lot of unnecessary drama when you don’t do things God’s way. You will become weak, and despondent when you don’t do things God’s way. There will be no peace for you and no comfort for you when you don’t do things God’s way. There will be no joy for you and no happiness for you when you don’t do things God’s way.  Not only will you mess yourself up when you don’t do things God’s way, but you will even cause your family, not to be blessed when you don’t do things God’s way. Salvation and eternal life will be out of your reach when you don’t’ do things God’s way because salvation and eternal life is found in Jesus Christ.”

“If you want to be blessed, you have to do things God’s way. If you want the victory, you have to do things God’s way. If you want to be successful and prosperous, you have to do things God’s way. If you want to be the head and not the tail, you got to do things God’s way. If you want to be blessed in the city and blessed in the field, you have to do things God’s way. If you want to be blessed going in and going out, you have to do things God’s way. If you want to be more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus, you have to do things God’s way. If you want deliverance, you must do things God’s way. If you want to be healed, you have to do things God’s way. If you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit, you have to do things God’s way. If you want your home and marriage to be blessed, you have to do things God’s way. If you want to be blessed on your job, at school, in your neighborhood, you have to do things God’s way. You ought to be committed in doing things God’s way.”  [Proverbs 3:5-6,].

I tell you, wisdom is the principal thing, but in all your getting get an understanding.” [Proverbs 4:7].  

“Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail…” [Proverbs 15:22-32].