Eve forgot that God wasn’t set on making her life miserable. He loves us and only wants the best for us.
When we read in the Bible that something is off-limits for Christians, we should recall the motive behind the instruction. The Ten Commandments were given to make our lives better, not worse.
God understands all the possible ramifications of behaviors and He desires to protect us from negative or harmful consequences. But He doesn’t force us to comply.
Think back over your life. Consider the major life choices you’ve made. Which ones brought pain or difficulties into your life? Were they decisions that violated biblical standards?
Now think about the small, daily decisions you’ve made in the last month. Did any of them cause trouble for you? Might they have been on the edge of what you knew was best—instead of sticking to a firm commitment to do what you believe Jesus would do?
I think sometimes we’re a lot like Rapunzel, the fairy-tale princess who let her hair down from her tower. She perceived that structure as a prison rather than protection from dragons. If we view God as a prison warden, we’ll be tempted to “let our hair down” sometimes—just to see how far we can lean without falling.
Like Eve and Rapunzel, when we forget how much God loves and wants to protect us, we’ll end up resenting the rules instead of thriving within them.
Like Eve had the choice to, look around the garden life has given you and appreciate all the delicious, sweet fruit that is there. Let that be a reminder for the next time you feel restricted from something--God's heart is always for your ultimate good!
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Monika Grabkowska