Genesis 3

My jaw dropped and blood pressure rose as I watched the man spout lies about my husband at the live-streamed meeting. I don’t know whether I would have made a wise choice if I’d been there. However, I was a thousand miles away and couldn’t surrender to the temptation to respond. But when I returned…

God’s grace prevented my quick retaliation. My mind knew his command to forgive, but my heart resisted. The tempest within raged as my husband and I drove home. I could either obey God or follow my feelings. Adam and Eve fought the same battle. What might I learn from them?

The Struggle to Make Wise Choices Started Early

Although Eve didn’t hear God’s warning not to eat from the tree in the middle of the garden, Adam passed along the message. She never imagined questioning God’s words before the serpent approached her and Adam. Perhaps Eve wanted to defend her Creator when she detected the serpent’s doubt about God’s goodness and generosity. Maybe she heightened God’s warning to emphasize the danger. Or she might have conveyed the unspoken insinuation in Adam’s voice, expecting him to correct her if she’d exaggerated. Yet he said nothing.

The serpent suggested Adam and Eve needn’t worry about immediate death. Instead, they should question God’s prohibition and consider the benefits of eating from the forbidden tree. They could become like God. As Eve turned to examine the tree, the wise choice seemed obvious. The fruit looked delicious and attractive and promised wisdom. What could go wrong? So, she and Adam ate some. 

Unintended Consequences

Like us, our first parents didn’t know what they didn’t know. They presumed they possessed enough wisdom to make an informed decision and would gain their heart’s desire without upsetting the status quo. 

Scripture encourages the pursuit of wisdom. So why did God forbid Adam and Eve from eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil? Perhaps he intended for them to eat from it after they matured. Instead, they were like five-year-olds trying to drive a car when they could neither see over the steering wheel nor reach the pedals.

Though the serpent lured them with the promise of a shortcut, acquiring wisdom requires time. Adam and Eve’s decision to defy their Creator’s authority—to make themselves gods—led them down a path of disobedience, resulting in unimagined repercussions.

While one bite cannot impart wisdom, one decision can change a life. When Adam and Eve replaced God as their boss, they chose new kings (themselves) and a new kingdom (outside God’s rule). They used their God-given free will to declare their independence from him. Self-rule, however, meant exile from the garden and enslavement to their desires. With their relationship with God shattered and access to the Tree of Life removed, they discovered shame and lost immortality.

Though he knew Adam and Eve’s rejection would come, God grieved the broken relationship. Nevertheless, he pursued them, longing to reconnect and prepare them for their new reality. Their need for food, abundant in the garden, would require hard labor. Parenthood would include the possibility of death for both mother and baby. Life changed forever.

How Can We Make Wise Choices?

Since our decisions affect our lives now and in the future, how can we make wiser, more God-honoring choices?

1. Call on God’s wisdom and grace. Adam and Eve trusted their decision-making abilities over God’s.
   • If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you (James 1:5 NIV).
   • As I battled my feelings, I knew God’s commands but also knew I couldn’t obey without his grace and strength. Prayer and time in the Word opened the door for God to strengthen my weak will through the work of his Spirit.
2. Count both the short and long-term costs. Adam and Eve considered only what they might gain, not what they would lose.
   • Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life(Galatians 6:7-8 NIV).
   • Acting on my anger might bring immediate relief but would solidify my outrage and result in lasting damage to my walk and witness. Exercising the Spirit-given fruit of self-control would honor God and soften my heart.
3. Consider the broader implications. Adam and Eve thought they could follow God on their terms.
   • Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves [submit to Jesus’ kingship] and take up their cross daily [endure whatever hardships self-denial brings] and follow me [conform to his way and Word] (Luke 9:23 NIV, my explanations).
   • I acknowledged my feelings but refused to give them access to the driver’s seat. Instead, depending on God’s grace, I vowed to bridle my tongue and undertake the thousand-step forgiveness journey. Because following Jesus means forgiving.

The Bottom Line

Whenever I choose my way over God’s, I’m setting myself up as my god. From the Kingdom of God to the Kingdom of Me —an unwise choice that never ends well.

Our decisions disclose the king we serve and determine the kingdom we inhabit.

What steps guide your decision-making? Please share below so we can learn from you.

"How to Increase Your Chances of Making Wise Choices" by @NancyLucenay on Beyond the Front Door Share on X