The serpent was the
shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had
made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say…?” Genesis 3:1
Most
sin begins with that little question. When we begin to question God’s
instruction, we have elevated our opinion to equal status with God. In effect,
we become our own gods. By asking that question, we are assuming the right to
judge God and His words. Eve’s temptation was not about fruit. It was the same
question we all face--Who is my authority?
Embedded within that question are
others: Who gets to define me? Who has the final word on my value and worth? In
our hearts, the serpent’s suggestion sounds something like this: "You know
what the Bible says, but what do YOU think?" When we entertain that line
of thinking, our enemy smiles. We have just taken a giant step in his direction.
But consider
this: Did the serpent have Eve’s best interest in mind? Does he have your best
interest in mind? Have you ever considered that your inward challenge to God’s
authority did not originate with you? Just like Eve, you know what God said,
but you disagree. So you listened to the serpent when he hissed, “Has God
really said…?" And you took the fruit. Often what we call “thinking for
myself” is nothing more than playing into our enemy’s hands.
What areas of
your life are troubled by the words: "Has God really said?” .
No comments:
Post a Comment