Today’s power scripture comes from Genesis 3:12: “The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”(ESV)
When questioned by God about his whereabouts and whether he had eaten of the fruit of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, Adam quickly threw Eve under the Eden bus. Although he was the head of the household and responsible for the dwelling place that God had provided for him, Adam did not step up to the plate in many ways. In my opinion he first failed in that he should have been more in tune with his wife and stopped all that unnecessary banter between her and the cunning snake. Not that she couldn’t have her own space and quiet reflection time in the garden, but even now in our sin-state, many of us pick up on vibes of when our loved ones are in trouble. So I am sure that before the ‘fall’ of Adam, he should have been keenly aware of Eve and her well-being.
Secondly the text tells us that Eve ate of the fruit first and then gave it to Adam. Adam could have nipped this whole ‘fall-of-man’ thing in the bud if he had ‘manned up’ and put his foot down and not taken the bait. He might have been able to take Eve before God for forgiveness and we could all now be running through the Emerald City naked as jaybirds with no worries or cares. But nooooooooo! Adam not only ate but then he tried to hide. He lost his head. How could he so foolishly think that he could hide from the all-mighty, all-seeing and all-knowing God?
Finally, when asked about his situation he pushed the blame onto Eve, the one who only a few verses back he was to cleave to and become as one. He even had the nerve to hint that God was at fault for giving him this woman. Instead of stepping forward and owning up to his mistake he took two steps back and left her standing there with her fig leaves blowing in the wind. Let us take a lesson from this example and take responsibility for our actions. I wonder if God, who is so apt to forgive us of all of our sins, was more disappointed in Adam’s failure to keep his commandment about the consumption of the fruit or about Adam’s betrayal by his lying and scheming? Let us be upfront and honest with ourselves, with others and most of all with God. When we have fallen short; messed up; bitten off more than we can chew; or just plain blown it – ‘fess up and own up.
The mature Christian knows that mistakes happen and can only be rectified when we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us. Don’t dig a deeper hole by lying or trying to cover it up. There is no shame in failing only in blaming others and not owning up to the process. We often learn best and remember the most from the things we don’t get quite right.
Every day is a good day it is up to us to make it a GREAT power-filled day. Have a great weekend. See you on Monday. Be blessed! Dr. JoAnn
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