Sometimes I get downright ticked off with Eve. She had everything going for her, and she blew it!
Eve had:
- A handsome, one-of-a-kind husband (Ok, the choices were slim, but he was perfect!)
- Companionship … God and her husband (and she wanted to talk to them … and they listened!)
- Cute little animals to play with (as well as some that would intimidate us today ~ “lions and tigers and bears… oh my!”
- No worries about a budget … or taxes.
- No “diets.” (No Krispy Kreme donuts nudging the scales upward…. and what scales?)
- No “appearance” issues. (How many issues can you have when there’s no wardrobe to deal with… or bad hair days?)
- No clothes means no laundry!
- No stretch marks, wrinkles, rolls of fat or age spots.
- No need to plan meals … just a stroll around God’s weed-free garden yielded everything she needed. (Hmmm… no chocolate … but I digress.)
- No struggle over her choices versus her husband’s. (No “Now Eve-ie, I know you want a new stove, but I really need an iPad.” … What? No electronics? How did anyone survive before technology?)
I mean, this woman had it perfect! But Eve blew it big time. And as I stood at the bathroom mirror this morning, patting lotion on my persistent crow’s feet, I decided, “This isn’t fair, and I’m more than a little ticked off!”
Before Eve made her fatal choice, there was no sickness, no pain, no “loud discussions” with her husband, no painful childbirth and no emotional drama. In this perfect setting, there were no stresses, struggles, trials or tribulations. But there was the enemy’s temptation, artfully set against all of God’s perfect world.
It’s natural to have a lot of questions. Why didn’t Eve see what was ahead? Why was she so easily convinced that the outsider (the Serpent) was seeking her good instead of planning to deceive her and lead her into a life of enslavement and heartbreak? Why didn’t Adam choose to do right in spite of Eve’s sin? And even, why did God allow the choice in the first place?
These are theological questions that could be tackled (and many have done so), and the answers point to God’s sovereignty and love ... but this is not where I’m headed today.
As I stood at the bathroom mirror moisturizing my wrinkling face, I realized I was blaming Eve for something that I might have chosen to do myself. I’ll never know. But I do know I am a daughter of Eve in that I cast blame rather than dealing with personal sin. I also know my sinful nature leads me to do a lot of nasty, nonsensical things. And that’s something I can do something about.
After all, I’m not just a daughter of Eve; now I’m a Child of the King!
It is God the Father who loves us and transforms us in Christ, making us fit for eternity. It’s the Spirit of God who convicts and teaches so we can grow in our faith and obedience. God is the great Instigator in our redemption. It is by His grace we are saved and changed, not by our own works (Ephesians 2:8-9).
But we do have choices. We can’t sit around like a bump on a pickle. We’ve got a job to do! We are “created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained” for us (Ephesians 2:10). God allows us to cooperate with the redemption process, but many – through pride, independence, apathy or irresponsibility – hinder His work.
Ephesians 5:15-17 tells us to “look carefully” to how we walk, “not as unwise but as wise.” When we understand the will of God, we are to walk (live and act) as “children of light” (5:8). Our Mighty God gives us a warrior’s power and armor to stand against evil (Ephesians 6:10-18) and calls us to Spirit-filled living (Galatians 5:22-25). We are equipped for victory and effective living; we have the spiritual tools to faithfully serve the Lord.
So it’s pretty fruitless to stay ticked off at Eve, blaming her (or anyone else) for my state of affairs. God wants His children to get on with living in Christ and walking with eternity in view. That’s where the choices come in. They are daily, and they make a difference.
I can choose my attitudes. I can choose joy in the midst of struggle and patience in the midst of waiting. I can seek God when my days look dark. I can think of the details of my life in view of eternity with Him.
[Ah eternity ... no wrinkles, diets, arguments, pain ...the absence of a lot of nasty things. And I'm still hoping for some heavenly chocolate.]
Friend, are you still blaming Eve, sitting around and not cooperating with God today – not pursuing the wise, godly choices He wants you to make? It’s far wiser to get proactive, to ask God to speak to your heart. What decisions and choices does He want you to make today?
when you’re in the shower, smack your rear end, and then steal your clothes and towel. And it’s all gonna happen when you have soap in your eyes.
I (Dawn) love to watch my husband try to crank up our old lawn mower. He pulls the starter cord over and over and over again. He stops and wipes his brow. He repeats this process several times. Finally, the mower starts purring (or growling, actually). One good thing about that mower is that it still cuts grass like a champ.
potentially powerful in spiritual warfare. But many Christians ~ by lack of use or not caring to “sharpen” this powerful tool in their hands ~ aren’t very effective in cutting down the “overgrowth” of sin.
