ODJ: Only Human?

January 22, 2018 

READ: Genesis 3:1-12 

God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God (v.5).

When I visit my nieces and nephews, my two year old niece almost always (after handing me several blankies and stuffed animals to make her stay comfortable) stretches out her arms to be held. Like any proud auntie, I’m happy to oblige.Precious moments like these remind me of the kind of life God intends for us. Unlike many adults who pride themselves in a façade of independence, children aren’t naturally selfconscious about their dependence on others. They love being picked up and held, one of the many joys of being small. It’s hard not to wonder what tragedies lead so many of us to become very different by adulthood—self-protective and fearful of depending on anyone else.

Similarly, Adam and Eve once experienced only joy in being creatures dependent on God and each other—until the tempter introduced them to the poisonous idea that freedom is found in independence from God (Genesis 3:6). Once that lie took root, it wreaked endless havoc and heartbreak. Instead of resting in their relationships with God and each other, people learned to be ashamed of how they were created (v.10) and mistrustful of each other (v.12). Soon after, relationships degenerated into murderous competitiveness (4:8).

Thankfully, our story doesn’t end there. Scripture describes God lovingly undertaking the agonisingly slow process of wooing human hearts back into relationship, teaching them that true freedom is found in simply being a human being dearly loved by God (John 17:23). In taking on human nature in Jesus, God established once and for all that it’s good to be human. Through Him, we come to understand that resting in God is the way to experience a life more fulfilling than we can imagine (10:10).

—Monica Brands

365-day plan: Genesis 39:1-23

MORE
Read Deuteronomy 13:4 and reflect on the relationship between obedience and clinging to God. 
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In what areas of your life are you prone to try to be ‘superhuman’ instead of simply human? What might it look like for you to embrace deeper dependence on God and others?