Acting Like Eve

Photo Source

“Ever since the Garden of Eden, women have often felt they could and should know as much as God. Much pain in our world has resulted from dependence on our wisdom rather than on our Father’s.” ~from The Young Lady in Waiting by Jackie Kendall and Debby Jones

While I don’t believe that we would necessarily vocalize the sentiments expressed in the above quote, I do think we sometimes show it in the way we act.

Anytime that I choose a course of action without taking my decision to God in prayer, I’m relying on my own wisdom.  This tendency reminds me of some Old Testament stories involving women…like Sarah arranging Abraham’s marriage with Hagar or Rebekah orchestrating Isaac’s blessing for Jacob instead of Esau.  Both of these women were attempting to help God fulfill His promises and they relied on their own wisdom to “fix” the situation.

Let me not cast stones; I am prone to act in the same way.  Sarah tried to manage her husband and Rebekah her child.  It can be difficult to turn situations over to the Lord, especially those that involve our families.  We feel like we can work everything out ourselves.  Instead we must learn to trust God – which often involves waiting on His timing or trusting Him even when we don’t see how circumstances could possibly turn out for good.  He has a purpose in what is developing in their lives and our interfering may not be what’s best for them.

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is Proverbs 3:5.  “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”  That’s a big step of faith – trusting God to work His will in His way and not depending on my own wisdom.

Easy to say; often very hard to do.  Let’s ask God for His power to trust His wisdom today!