I recently finished a study in Genesis and was reminded of just how much we’re like Adam and Eve. (That’s hard to hear, isn’t it.)
God created the first man and woman, and then He did that thing He does. “[He] blessed them” (Genesis 1:28). He blessed them abundantly, in fact! They were handed a barrier-free relationship with their Creator (can you even imagine!), control over all the earth, and all of their needs met perfectly – because that’s how God rolls.
Then He stood back, looked at all He made, and saw it was very good (Genesis 1:31). No longer just good, but very good.
I really wish there were an “and they all lived happily ever after” at that point in the Bible. But they. wanted. more. <sigh>
Before you put them on your list of people to track down in heaven (admit it, you have one) to ask, “What in the world were you thinking?” – aren’t we the same?
“But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).
Here we are – blessed “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3), with “adoption as sons” (Ephesians 1:5), gifted, glorified, forgiven, and free! (And a whole lot more!)
But like Adam and Eve, we want more.
We don’t want to miss out. We think we know better. We want to feel in charge, important, and unstoppable. Forgetting both “I can do all things through Him” (Philippians 4:13) and “apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5), we’d rather rely on self than God. And that deception weakens our every move. Worse yet, it prevents our fellowship and worship of God.
Have you noticed how many “You can do it!” books and blogs are out there? Not saying striving to be your best is bad. Not at all. But when self-encouragement turns into true self-sufficiency, we’ve lost sight of the God who made us that way and placed every single good thing about us there, not just for our enjoyment, but for His glory.
“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (2 Corinthians 10:17).
His glory. There’s an urgent need for Christians to remember who God is and who we are only because of His unfathomable grace and mercy. We need to remember and thank Him often. (I’m always talking to myself in these posts.)
We need to ask God to show us when we can’t get our eyes off ourselves long enough to see Him. Or when our lives exalt “me!” instead of “He!” Or when our worship struggles because our view of self is way too big (i.e. self-centered, proud) to be surrendered before our Creator Savior.
Because frankly, there are times when I sing, “There is no other Name,” but live like the other name is mine. (Even though I know the blessings He longs to pour out far exceed anything else I may be grasping for – fruit or not.)
Let’s get out of the way and seek Him first. Love Him first. Let’s take the time to make sure our perspective of who He is (and self as a result) is rooted in biblical truth. And then by His incredible grace and mercy, give Him all the glory He deserves through the power of His Spirit at work within us.
He alone deserves that highest place in our lives. Let’s fight for God-worship in a self-loving world.
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