She Told Me To!

Good Morning,

Genesis 3:17 (NLT)
And to the man he said,
"Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it."

I guess we human beings just never learn, do we? Adam "went along" with a suggestion from Eve and the consequences of his actions have been felt by the earth ever since.

(As an aside, I'm sure that you notice another aspect of humanity by Adam when he said, "It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it." (vv 12) By using these words Adam was the first "finger pointer" as well as the first man. Good old Adam tried to put the blame off on Eve, of course, and even on God because it was God who gave him the woman! Pretty human, huh?)

Well, back to our point this morning. How often have you done something that you know wasn't quite right because another person sort of suggested that you do it? What have you looked at or read, knowing it was something you shouldn't be doing, because someone told you how good or cool it was? How many movies have you gone to or how much music have you listened to simply because of someone's recommendation? We've all done it. Me. You. Probably every human on the planet as some point has done something that in their hearts and minds they knew wasn't right...just because someone urged them to do it.

Eve gave Adam the fruit after the serpent (the devil) told her it was okay for her and nothing would happen because of it. “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” (vv 13) You see a pattern here? Everyone involved here going along with something they knew was wrong just because someone advised them it was all right. Oh, how weak and gullible we humans are.

Today, the consequences of our actions of doing something against God's will aren't as all consuming and long lasting as what Adam and Eve did, of course. But, those consequences CAN...and often DO...have a huge impact on the life of the person who does what it is he knows he shouldn't. And, of course, those consequences can also affect the lives of those around such a one. But, here's the thing of it all, our actions WILL HAVE consequences! Just as something dropped from a height will fall to the ground, so also shall what I do affect my life in some way. Just as there are laws in physics (gravity, for instance) there are laws in the living of life.

I guess that what we're being advised of today is that we take a long, hard look at what's being presented to us for us to take part in or do. You know, we DON'T have to go and see that movie the critics are raving about. We DON'T have to buy or listen to that latest, greatest band "everyone" is so excited about. There are many things that we just DON'T have to do that others say are cool or fun or exciting.

Deep inside we know. We know the right thing. We know the wrong thing. Let's make the right choices and put aside that which we know is wrong. Let's not be Eve or Adam and do something just because someone says we should.

Love, peace, and blessings,

David