In the beginning, by the word of His mouth, God created the heavens and the Earth and all that was in them. His grand finale – and the purpose of it all – was man and woman, created in His image. And it was very good.
Until a snake spoke.
“Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
Genesis 3:1
Eve tried to shake the enticing notion that there could be more. “No,” she said, “God said to enjoy everything, except for the one specific tree, or we will die.”
“You won’t surely die!” the snake pushed, “God is holding out on you! He knows if you eat that fruit you will be like Him, knowing good and evil.”
“Wait, that’s not fair!!” she thought. Perhaps God’s heart wasn’t so good and generous after all. So she and her husband ate that which they were warned not to. ( Gen 3:2-6, paraphrase mine.)
God’s very good plan was suddenly distorted
Spoken words change our lives. The snake’s “little white lie” was more than a temptation, it was an evil plan of identity fraud. Think about it: with the hiss of his voice, they were made to feel that they were not good enough and their life could be better.
The snake said that the fruit would make them like God… but they already were.
He said that they would gain the knowledge of good and evil… yet they already knew VERY GOOD. So really, all the couple gained was the knowledge of evil.
God’s very good plan was that mankind would not know evil. So, truth be told, God was holding out on them. He was holding back all that would hurt and hinder them from the beautiful, free life He created them for! The snake twisted that truth and hijacked a very good plan.
Before they lost trust in God, the first couple were liberated nudists; after, they were embarrassed and ashamed individuals. When we doubt God, we doubt ourselves and we doubt others. Self-consciousness destroys intimacy, which is exactly what the nemesis of God wanted. In fact, he is still roaming the Earth to steel, kill and destroy the identity of anyone desiring to be like God, for this is his obsession.
When we think that God is holding out on us, we put up a guard and separate ourselves from Him. When we believe His heart is not good, we doubt our own worth as well.
“If God is so good, why does He give me so many restrictions? Must not be enough.”
If you have ever felt insecure in your identity, then you know: it only takes one conversation, one truth–slightly twisted, or said with the wrong tone–to cause us to doubt God’s plan. Adam and Eve had no image issues before the snake spoke.
Why did He make me this color, shape, size or gender? Why can’t I do this or have that? He must not love me, want me, believe in me…
Lies.
Worse than a lie, it’s a twisted-Truth, because there is some truth in it (Adam and Eve really were naked) but the deepest the truth is, God’s laws are protective boundaries that display His love and give us opportunity to show Him love in return (by respecting them).
If we want to overcome self-consciousness, we would be wise to consider the example set for us in the Garden of Eden, which we will do in tomorrow’s blog. For now, let’s pray: God, show me the lies I have believed and forgive me for all the ways I have doubted you. Teach me to trust your heart and follow your laws. Help me to stop trying to make everything better myself. Teach me to walk in the freedom of being who you designed me.
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Above all else, BE and LET BE
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