Anatomy of a Fall

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other 

beast of the field that the LORD God had made. 

Genesis 3:1

Crafty. It’s the word Scripture uses to describe the serpent in the Garden of Eden. An apt word for a foe that manages to trip us up again and again. And a word that manages to conjure up all kinds of images in just six letters and two short syllables. Crafty. That word just does something!

Satan is indeed crafty — and effective. I can tell you that from personal experience. But the reality is that he’s been using the same technique since the beginning of time, quite literally. And we, both collectively and individually, keep falling for it.

We know the truth. We do. Honestly. We know that good is better than evil, that purity is better than corruption, that honesty is better than deception, that forgiveness is better than holding a grudge, that generosity is better than greed, etc. 

But temptation tends to eat away at truth.

Turning our focus back to the Garden, I think it’s safe to assume that Eve had seen the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:16) many times before her encounter with the serpent that day. She knew the truth about it and understood the danger, yet when temptation came, she gave it a place in her thinking.

We tend to read this passage as if it all happened in a moment. The serpent asks, “Did God really say…?” Eve responds, “We will die.” The serpent counters, “No. You’ll be wiser.” And then, within a few seconds, with the serpent still watching and the fruit within reach, Eve takes and eats — and all hell breaks loose. 

Might I suggest another scenario? One that Scripture would allow for? One that isn’t influenced by every painting you’ve ever seen of Eve under a tree with a snake over one shoulder and an apple over the other? Ok, good. My hunch is that Eve was minding her own business in a much less prominent location in the Garden when the serpent offered her not an apple, but an idea — the idea that what God had described as a danger to be avoided was actually a delight to be enjoyed.

Eve walked away from that conversation not with apple skin stuck between her teeth, but with a big “what if” lodged in her head. A big “what if” that she mulled over again and again and again. A “what if” that became more appealing over time as it pulled at different parts of who Eve was. That’s what I see when I read the following verse:

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, 

and that it was a delight to the eyes, 

and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise… 

Genesis 3:6a

First the tree offered something to satisfy her hunger. And, hey, it’s ok to be hungry, right? And then she began to notice how beautiful that darn tree was! Not that the other trees weren’t. But this one… wow! She just couldn’t stop looking at it Or thinking about it. And wondering, “What if?” What if it would make life better? What if I could be wiser? And happier? 

Some time after her thinking changed, her actions followed suit. 

…she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some 

to her husband who was with her and he ate.

Genesis 3:6b

When did she take of its fruit and eat? The author of Genesis writes, “When the woman saw…” (see Gen 3:6a above) Not necessarily the next time she looked at it, but rather — and please don’t miss this — when the way she looked at it had changed. When the “what if” had been entertained long enough to tip the “danger vs. desire scale” in her mind. 

That’s how it usually goes, doesn’t it? We avoid dangers. Naturally. But we entertain desires. When our thinking transfers something from the “danger” column to the “delight” column, that’s when destruction is imminent. Because our thoughts, more than anything else, drive our actions. Let’s cover that again: our thoughts, more than anything else, drive our actions.

You see, the mere existence of the tree wasn’t Eve’s downfall. Her thinking about it was.

And the existence of a drink or drug, or a pile of cash, or a man or woman won’t be our downfall either. Our thinking will be. Because our thoughts, more than anything else, drive our actions. 

So… what pattern of thinking needs your attention today? What is pulling at your appetites and pecking away at what you know to be true and right? Has something slowly moved from danger to delight? What are you going to do to move it back? And who do you need to tell about it?

While I don’t know your answers to those questions, I do know this: nothing good lies on the other side of that “what if?”

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Proverbs 4:23

"Proving Grounds"

[This entry is Part Three of a three-part series entitled "Put to the Test"]

"We were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself...but that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead." 2 Corinthians 1:8,9

I just have to smile when I find myself in a conversation with someone who has God all figured out. As if God fit neatly into some nice little box manufactured by human reason and logic. One of the coolest things about being in relationship with God is experiencing his unpredictability. Just when we think he is going to respond or move in one way, we find that he has done something totally unexpected.

Our move to Phoenix a few years ago falls within these lines. We assumed that God called us to move to Phoenix for reasons related to the Seminary and my training there. But as we look back, it has become apparent that God was seeking to move in my wife’s life in even more profound ways. Something we never could have guessed would happen was part of God’s plan from the beginning – and my wife will never be the same for it. When we moved, God moved, but in a way we didn’t expect.

The same can be true regarding our limited human view of the tests and trials that come about in our lives. We look at the situation we face and often reason that our faith in God would be strengthened most if God were to move in a miraculous way. We reason that deliverance out of the circumstances would be the optimum scenario for strengthening and confirming our relationship with God. This, however, is another scenario where God often operates outside of human logic.

What we find, not only in Scripture but also in the lives of seasoned Christians, is that the enduring of tests and trials allows us to experience God’s “proving grounds.” At this point you might be asking, “What are proving grounds?” The New Oxford American Dictionary defines proving grounds as “an environment that serves to demonstrate whether something, such as a theory or product, really works.”

In the automotive industry, proving grounds are designed to put vehicles through a battery of tests, often under extremely harsh conditions, to test their roadworthiness and durability. General Motors’ proving grounds contain over 130 miles of roads, giving engineers the opportunity to run cars through every conceivable driving situation – wet roads, bumpy roads, potholes, tight corners and steep descents. Throughout the process, the theories of design, as well as their implementation, are either proven or disproven. As results are observed, designs are refined and the final product continues in its advance toward the ultimate goal – perfection.

Experiencing tests and trials in our lives creates a sort of proving ground for God. Life on the open road is an opportunity to observe not only God’s faithfulness to us, but our faith in Him as well – in the midst of pain, in the midst of heartache, in the midst of loss, in the midst of disappointment.

In Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth, he describes a situation in which he and his companions despaired even of life itself (2 Cor 1:8-11). They were at the end of their rope. It was beyond what they could handle physically and emotionally. That’s a bad situation. Perhaps you have been there. But what was Paul’s view of the situation in hindsight? He says that this happened so that they would rely not on themselves but on God, who raises the dead (that’s a powerful God to trust in). Paul’s confidence in God is increased after he experiences God’s faithfulness in the midst of the trial. Paul says, “He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.”

As, a good friend of mine once said, “Past faithfulness builds future confidence.” Paul’s confidence in the Lord was strengthened and his faith was fortified as a result of his dire circumstances. When we see that our faith has survived through the most dire of circumstances, we stand a little stronger – knowing that our faith can and will withstand the test.

Much like that car on the proving grounds, every time our faith is pushed to the limit, the Designer makes some slight modifications in His pursuit of our perfection. Our nature and character get pushed a little closer to that of our model – the faithful One, Jesus Christ.

So, the next time you find yourself in the proving grounds, look around. You’re bound to see God doing a work in you and you’ll also have an opportunity to experience his faithfulness – perhaps in a way you didn’t expect.