I was reading the daily page from a devotional book given to me by a dear friend..."A Cup of Comfort: A Women of the Bible Devotional". And it was about Eve.
Eve is such an interesting historical figure to consider. I often waffle on my feelings about her. I honor...or, maybe, the correct term is envy...her privilege of a close, intimate, personal relationship with the Creator in the setting of the Garden of Eden. I respect her as the first wife, the first mom, and all the other experiences that I share in common with her that she had to weather first, without the benefit of her own mom, sister or a best girlfriend on whom to lean. And when I consider all that happens in the world today as a result of the fall of man at the foot of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, I get mad at her. Because she succumbed to the temptation presented by Satan, in the form of a serpent, to know as much as God, the door was opened for sin, sadness, hunger, illness, death, poverty, greed and any other ugly thing you can imagine to enter the world (Genesis 1-3). And as a twenty-first century armchair quarterback, I may boldly claim at times that, if faced with the same opportunity, I wouldn't have made the same choice.
Give me a break...
Eve lived in the perfect place...had a perfect marriage...a perfect life. And yet she still wanted what she didn't have. Eve has nothing on me.
I can look at my perfectly comfy and warm home, furnished to the brim with many modern conveniences, and wish that I had a new living room set. I can look at my closet filled with clothes...many I'm not even wearing at this very moment...and claim I have nothing to wear. I can type away on my laptop right now...and wish that I had a newer computer with a faster processor or more memory. I can take advantage of social media platforms...that are FREE to me...to keep in touch with loved ones, and get mad when it doesn't work like I expect it too. I can snap pictures on my camera, forgetting how excited I was to have it at one time...only recognizing what it can not do. I fall into the trap of looking at what I don't have, rather than focusing on what God has so mercifully provided for me.
There are a few lessons in the life of Eve for me. The first is to be content with what God has provided for me. The Bible instructs us to be content (Hebrews 13:5). It doesn't mean that we can't have nice things...but that can't be where our joyfulness rests. The second is to obey God (Acts 5:29). He instructed Eve, with her husband, to leave that tree alone. When we disobey God, bad things happen. The third is to not judge (Matthew 7:1-2). If God had cast me in the role of Eve, my life and choices are evidence that I probably would not have made any different choices than she had. And, even given the benefit of Eve's experience...that disobedience of God leads to bad happenings...I still manage to find many creative ways to disobey Him. Just a few ways in which my waywardness is evident... it's on full display when I judge others...when I choose impatience and anger as a response...when I set my heart on worldly things rather than the heavenly...when I turn away from those in need....when I audit my actions/words/thoughts against man's measure instead of God's...and the list could go on and on.
So...when I am caring for a sick child...when I am mourning the death of a loved one...when I am angry at the injustice so prevalent in this modern world...when I mentally berate Eve for those troubles she brought onto women specifically...perhaps I need to focus a little less on Eve and her actions which made these troubles possible...and focus instead on how my own actions continue to give these troubles life.
Showing posts with label Judgment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Judgment. Show all posts
Friday, February 17, 2012
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Snap Judgment
From "Morning Jam Sessions" by Betty Malz...
Avoid hasty conclusions and snap judgments.
... The Bible says there are three things that cannot be recalled, brought back or returned: a shot arrow, youth, or a sharp word spoken in haste. "Their tongue is an arrow shot out; it speaks deceit; one speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart he lies in wait" (Jeremiah 9:8).
Let's not lie in wait to make snap judgments.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Are You the Imp in Impatience?
From "Morning Jam Sessions" by Betty Malz...
If the devil can't get you to be immoral, drunk, profane, backslidden or a cheat at business, he will rally his imp guerillas of impatience and cause you to wound someone's spirit and bring guilt to your own inner control.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Dropping My Rock ... Again (sigh)
, "Who does he think he is?"
"My time is as important as hers!"
"That @#$% cut me off!"
"Why can't they have it all together before they get to the register?"
"Can't he read the sign?"
As I look over recent days . . . weeks . . . months . . . and years, I know some form of the above statements, as well as others, have escaped my lips. The feelings attached have lingered long enough to make my morning miserable, cause me to miss teachable moments with my kids and built up to the point my loved ones paid in some way. And while my day may be ruined, it is possible that that person had no idea what had happened.
Recently, I read a book called Dropping Your Rock by Nicole Johnson. She takes the familiar Bible story of the adulterous woman presented to Jesus by religious leaders in John 8 and makes the reader part of the scene. Jesus was teaching a crowd of people in the temple courts when the woman was dragged in by her accusers. Imagine her shame. Perhaps she was wearing no clothing. Perhaps her skin was scraped, bruised and bleeding from her capture and transport. They made her stand before Jesus and the crowd he had been teaching. You know the Law of Moses. She is to be stoned to death. You pick up your stone, ready to do your duty. But Jesus bends down, scratching in the dirt (don't you wish you knew what he had written in the dirt that day?). Moments later, after being drilled with questions, Jesus stands up and welcomes any that are without sin to cast the first stone.
Imagine this woman, trembling, crouched on the ground. Bracing herself, waiting to feel the first strike. Slowly, her accusers and those ready to carry out her punishment walk away. As they each drop their rock, the ground releases soft deep thumps. All of those who had stood ready to judge and kill her, knew in their hearts that they were not without sin.
So, as I speed through my day, ready to stone anyone who impedes my progress and plan, do I really believe that I have not ever affected others? Have I ever cut anyone off in traffic before? Accidental or purposefully? Better drop my rock. Have I ever been late for an appointment, due to my poor planning or events that I could not control? Better drop my rock. Have I ever had a child misbehave loudly in a public place? Better drop my rock. Have I ever been unsure of where I am going? Better drop my rock.
Every car you see on the highway, every house you pass along the streets . . . they all have stories. And all of those stories have good parts and bad parts. You don't know where the the guy who just cut you off is at in his story. Maybe he has a sick family member. Maybe he has lost his job. Maybe there is some kind of substance abuse present. Maybe there is a marriage in peril. Instead of picking up a rock to stone him, say a prayer for him . . .
Update (5/31/12): After reading John 8 with my three daughters this morning, I shared this post with them to further our discussion. I feel compelled to add to the last sentence. My prayers should not just be for the other person, but for myself also. Prayers for help to drop my rock...prayers of thankfulness that I may not be dealing with what someone else is facing...thankfulness for having a place to rest...thankfulness for my redemption, paid for through Jesus' blood.
In addition to this, I would like to share a post by Terri Brady, "Grace: Pass it on!". I know that I was blessed by it. Additionally, here's a great post by Lysa Terkeurst that convicted me down to my toes for those times I've had "the perfect comeback"
"My time is as important as hers!"
"That @#$% cut me off!"
"Why can't they have it all together before they get to the register?"
"Can't he read the sign?"
As I look over recent days . . . weeks . . . months . . . and years, I know some form of the above statements, as well as others, have escaped my lips. The feelings attached have lingered long enough to make my morning miserable, cause me to miss teachable moments with my kids and built up to the point my loved ones paid in some way. And while my day may be ruined, it is possible that that person had no idea what had happened.
Recently, I read a book called Dropping Your Rock by Nicole Johnson. She takes the familiar Bible story of the adulterous woman presented to Jesus by religious leaders in John 8 and makes the reader part of the scene. Jesus was teaching a crowd of people in the temple courts when the woman was dragged in by her accusers. Imagine her shame. Perhaps she was wearing no clothing. Perhaps her skin was scraped, bruised and bleeding from her capture and transport. They made her stand before Jesus and the crowd he had been teaching. You know the Law of Moses. She is to be stoned to death. You pick up your stone, ready to do your duty. But Jesus bends down, scratching in the dirt (don't you wish you knew what he had written in the dirt that day?). Moments later, after being drilled with questions, Jesus stands up and welcomes any that are without sin to cast the first stone.
Imagine this woman, trembling, crouched on the ground. Bracing herself, waiting to feel the first strike. Slowly, her accusers and those ready to carry out her punishment walk away. As they each drop their rock, the ground releases soft deep thumps. All of those who had stood ready to judge and kill her, knew in their hearts that they were not without sin.
So, as I speed through my day, ready to stone anyone who impedes my progress and plan, do I really believe that I have not ever affected others? Have I ever cut anyone off in traffic before? Accidental or purposefully? Better drop my rock. Have I ever been late for an appointment, due to my poor planning or events that I could not control? Better drop my rock. Have I ever had a child misbehave loudly in a public place? Better drop my rock. Have I ever been unsure of where I am going? Better drop my rock.
Every car you see on the highway, every house you pass along the streets . . . they all have stories. And all of those stories have good parts and bad parts. You don't know where the the guy who just cut you off is at in his story. Maybe he has a sick family member. Maybe he has lost his job. Maybe there is some kind of substance abuse present. Maybe there is a marriage in peril. Instead of picking up a rock to stone him, say a prayer for him . . .
Update (5/31/12): After reading John 8 with my three daughters this morning, I shared this post with them to further our discussion. I feel compelled to add to the last sentence. My prayers should not just be for the other person, but for myself also. Prayers for help to drop my rock...prayers of thankfulness that I may not be dealing with what someone else is facing...thankfulness for having a place to rest...thankfulness for my redemption, paid for through Jesus' blood.
In addition to this, I would like to share a post by Terri Brady, "Grace: Pass it on!". I know that I was blessed by it. Additionally, here's a great post by Lysa Terkeurst that convicted me down to my toes for those times I've had "the perfect comeback"
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