Thursday, March 22, 2018

Thinking We Know What's Best

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”?’

The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.”’

‘You will not certainly die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” (Genesis 3:1-7 NIV)

When I was with students on our Spring Break trip in Florida two weeks ago, we had just returned from an outing and were pulling into the place we were staying when we noticed the orange cones blocking the entrance. The parking lot was nearly full and it became obvious that men there to attend a weekend retreat had mistakenly parked in front of the place we were staying. Realizing that, I assume the camp set the cones out to prevent others from doing the same. 

I set several of the cones aside so we could pull our van in and after I did, suddenly a car pulled through ahead of us. I approached the car to explain the situation, but the man rolled down his window and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll figure it out.” He then proceeded to look for a spot to park. He mistakenly thought this was the place he was to check in for the weekend. He didn’t know that and I was seeking to explain it to him. He waved me off because he thought he knew better. So I watched him pull further in, but without a place to park. Again, I approached his vehicle. This time he asked, “Isn’t this the place we check in?” I explained to him it was not and that he would have to proceed on further to another building where people were registering. His only response was a weak, “Oh, okay.”

It is the oldest and greatest weakness of the human race. We just tend to think we know best and can do things better on our own. This is what happened to Eve and Adam in the Garden. The Lord was explicit in His instructions about the tree of knowledge of good and evil—don’t eat of its fruit. Yet, both thought they knew better when the serpent gave his perspective of God’s command. They reasoned it was fine to go ahead and disobey the Lord. They really wanted a taste and, really, what harm could come from it? They quickly found out and it was worse than they could have ever imagined.

Obviously, the man in my parking lot story didn’t suffer any severe consequences by pulling into the wrong place, but the hubris of him thinking he need not listen to me because he could figure it out on his own was evident, and indicative of the same temptation our ancestors, beginning with Eve and Adam, have continually faced and given into down through history. 

I can look back at my life and see the same inclination, and I have continually seen it in the students with whom I have worked over decades. I remember one time in my early 20’s literally telling the Lord I was going to disobey Him because I desperately wanted to renew a relationship with my ex-girlfriend. As one might expect, it turned into a disaster and I immediately realized how stupid I was. I also recall my wife and I talking with a student who was making some poor lifestyle choices. We knew the spiritual danger she was in and attempted to warn her. She refused to listen and, to this day, she continues to suffer the consequences of her choices.

What about you? Are you in the habit of thinking you know what is best for your life, even if the Lord or those who love Him deeply are attempting to tell you that you are making, or about to make, a very poor choice? If so, be warned the temptation that has wrecked the lives of so many before you is knocking at your door. You would be very wise to refuse to let it enter further into your life.

Today, know the commands of the Lord are intended for your good and should not be taken lightly. You may think you know best, but as we all learn sooner or later, you really don’t. And the sooner you learn that, the better.

© Jim Musser 2018

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