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Life LessonsA Modern Woman’s Journey to Biblical Truth 2027 Edition Bailey Anglin
IntroductionWelcome friends! Have you ever read a Bible story and thought, “Huh? This kind of sounds like last Tuesday'' or “I think Martha and I could be great friends”? Yep, me too because, though these stories were lived thousands of years ago, the human condition hasn’t really changed. This means we can glean great wisdom for everyday life just by taking a closer look at some often told stories. Often these moments are so familiar that we miss the details in the middle and it was this realization that led to a series on my blog, Converse and Crowns, which eventually became this study. I wanted to share all the Father was teaching me through these life lessons and create a community of growth and sisterhood. Every week we will focus on one character from the Bible and what we can learn from their life. Some weeks will have a singular focus while many weeks will have a several small lessons woven throughout. Each day will have a reading and a prayer to help us focus on what the Lord is teaching and each weekend we have a time of reflection. Personally, I enjoy journaling my reflections but do as you feel most comfortable. In our group time we will expand upon our lessons for that week. Please know that I am extremely grateful that you are taking this journey with me and I pray the Lord will speak to your heart the way He has spoken to mine. Here we go…
EveWeek 1 “There is one vice from which no man in the world is free; which everyone in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty themselves… There is no fault which makes man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others. The vice I am talking of is Pride.” C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity) Life Lessons with Weekly Reading: Genesis 3
If you did a random street survey about the first time humans sinned you would probably get something about an apple, snake or maybe disobedience but I doubt the word pride would be brought up. Yet, pride seems to be at the root of all sin in some form and I know from personal experience that pride enjoys disguising itself as other issues which can make it difficult to detect. C.S. Lewis makes this point in “Mere Christianity” when he speaks of how we easily see pride in others but not in ourselves. He goes even further to call pride an “acceptable” sin which is so true! Isn’t that just like a sinner to divide sins into acceptable and unacceptable? We compare our sins “rank” next to the world’s and take PRIDE in how we aren’t quite as bad as the next guy. True to human form, this isn’t a new problem because Psalm 36:2 says just that, “In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin.” Man, do we have our wires crossed but that’s Satan’s game after all, utter confusion! When we read Genesis, we see that the first sin moment of the world occurs in two scenes. In the first scene, we see Eve and Satan having a chat and in the second, we see the repercussions of that conversation. In Genesis 3:1, Satan approaches Eve with a question… Half Truths Day 1 Daily Reading: Genesis 3:1-3
“Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Seems like a pretty benign question but remember Satan isn’t an originator, rather he’s an imitator who likes to take the truth and alter it just enough to be deceptive. If you look back in Genesis 2, you can see that the Lord only mentioned one tree from which they couldn’t eat but Satan was looking to sow discontentment and so he set Eve up to doubt the truth and goodness of God. Verse one tells us that Satan is crafty and I think most of us would agree which is why he doesn’t typically tell outright lies. No, big lies are obvious so he likes to dabble in half truths and so do we if we’re honest with ourselves but half truths are still whole lies. If they weren’t we wouldn’t work so hard to disguise them and believe me they can do just as much damage as we will see. Half Truths Day 1 Today’s Prayer Father, give me the wisdom to discern the half truths I’ve accepted and help me use Your truth as my ultimate guide when temptation comes my way. Thank you for sending the Spirit to speak truth into my situations.
Think about a time in your life when Satan got you to question God. Don’t those moments typically revolve around your plan being better or more fair or more enjoyable than what God is offering? I know that always seems to be the case in my life. Satan helps me start with the comparisons which leads to discontentment then questioning God and ultimately sin. All of the sudden, I think I have a better grasp on my situation than the Creator of the universe. This is exactly what happens to Eve. Satan starts her mind rolling towards comparison and there seems to be no stopping it. Comparison seems to be a timeless and universal problem. As kids we are jealous of the neighbor with the shinier bike. In high school, it’s the classmate with the best prom date. In college, it’s the sorority sister who just got engaged and as adults, it seems to be the guy who got the promotion at work or the woman who just built her dream house or the family down the street who always goes on that perfect vacation. I truly believe Satan rejoiced when social media became the norm because it cut down on his work significantly. We can compare ourselves 24/7 now and I hate it. Comparison & Discontentment Day 2 Daily Reading: Genesis 3:2-6
Much like he does today, Satan planted the seed of discontent within Eve and let her do the rest. “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (vs. 4-5) It’s at this moment that Eve sees what she’s been missing or what she thinks is missing. She has delicious and nutritious food surrounding her but what are they compared to this desirable option? Does this at all seem familiar to you? Human nature is essentially quite fickle. We are happy and content until a new option comes along. Don’t allow Satan to convince you that God is holding out when a good Father only gives good gifts. Comparison & Discontentment Day 2 Today’s Prayer Lord, help me not compare my story to those around me and help me not allow discontentment to cloud my vision. Thank you for all the blessings in my life and for those to come.
I started a habit a few years back of not only journaling my prayers but also “reviewing” those prayers later and highlighting the answered ones. This process allowed me to be grateful for all the ways the Lord had worked in my life but it also helped me not to forget His faithfulness. See, we have the tendency to move on to the next want or need once one prayer is answered. Have you ever noticed that when you want something desperately you can lose sight of all the blessings you already have? Why is it that the one thing we don’t have can hold such sway over our feelings towards all we do have? Think of a child who wakes up on Christmas morning with only one toy on their mind. No matter how many wonderful gifts they open they can’t help but be disappointed if that one isn’t among the others and don’t we do the same with blessings? So, often our discontentment makes us forget all that the Lord has provided. Just like in this passage, Satan can convince us, like Eve, that God is holding out on us… that He’s trying to keep the best for Himself which is an insane thought. Seriously, like God would gladly sacrifice His only Son for us but would keep other good things for Himself? But Satan’s good at making us forget the reality of the truths we know. In verse six, Eve lost sight of all the delicious and beautiful things she had access to in the garden because all she was worried about was the one from which she couldn’t take. Forgetfulness Day 3 Daily Reading: Genesis 3:4-6
It’s easy to scoff at Eve’s behavior because surely we wouldn’t do the same if we were walking with God in the garden and yet, we do the same every day. We trade God’s eternal goodness for the world’s temporary mediocrity. Sometimes, it’s out of impatience, discontentment or even anger but regardless of the reason, the results are the same. Disappointment and consequences. So, where’s your perspective today? Do you truly trust the Father? Maybe a better question is, do you know Him enough to trust him? See, it’s hard to trust someone who you don’t really know but when you know the truth and faithfulness of whom you’re dealing with that process becomes a little easier. Not perfect because we are still impatient, discontented beings but it makes all the difference. Ultimately, do we believe the truth of Romans 8:28… “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Forgetfulness Day 3 Today’s Prayer Lord, help me shift my focus back to you and help me remember in my impatience and discontentment that your ultimate plan is beyond all I could dream or imagine. Help me to see where I am trying to take control back myself and remind me of all Your faithfulness.
As we continue our look at Genesis 3, we can see that Eve doesn’t actually know or maybe doesn’t remember the Lord’s command. We see this moment when she responds to the serpent with a twisted version of what was originally said in Genesis 2. I’ve heard much debate about where the differences come from but my belief is that the reasons don’t matter in the grand scheme. Regardless of reasons, in her version, she states that the Lord said she couldn’t touch the tree which isn’t true but that lie set Eve up for even more discontentment, after all, why would the Lord be so unfair? As someone who is surrounded by teenagers every day I regularly hear the phrase, “But that’s not fair!” which leads me to ask, what is true fairness? Webster defines fair as “conforming with the established rules” which sounds pretty good from a human perspective but when I consider what the rules of justice and holiness require of me I’m not so sure I want fairness. Remember, currently we are watching a conversation between Eve and the snake where Satan is planting sins of doubt and uncertainty in her mind. The serpent convinces Eve that she must have miss understood God when He was giving instructions because obviously He wouldn’t kill them over something so simple as a tree. Truthfully, the Lord must be hiding something pretty amazing if He is being so picky about a plant….or so Satan would like them, and us, to believe. Define Fair Day 4 Daily Reading: Genesis 3:4-7
Satan does a really good job of arguing logic but God is not logical and what seems logical to you and me might be completely off base. In moments of frustration, I often forget that the world doesn’t start and end with me. In fact, I can’t always see all the parts functioning in my life. Have you ever had something sneak up and surprise you in life? Good or bad, it always seems so strange that such a life altering moment can occur and change the trajectory of your life in a moment. Yet, as surprise as you may be, the Lord is not. So, perhaps there is a reason behind the big and small moments of your life if you can only let go of the need to be in control. Now, to the uncomfortable conversation of fairness and what we actually deserve. Romans 6:23, tells us that “...the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Translation? We have be FOR-GIV-EN! Like, majorly forgiven! Like, “I can’t begin to process the amount of love, mercy and grace that the Lord has bestowed upon me today much less every other day of my life” forgiven. See, in reality, I don’t want fairness because fairness would include me standing trial and facing punishment for all my sin and failures. Don’t get me wrong. I deserve exactly that because God is holy and sin demands punishment or sacrifice to be forgiven. Define Fair Day 4
Define Fair Day 4 Today’s Prayer Lord, thank you for not being fair to me. I’m sorry that I often fail to grasp the impact of forgiveness on my life and that I often demand control in my life. Please help me learn to let go of what I don’t understand and to trust your boundaries as protection from a loving Father. Also, you either do or do not believe God is righteous. If you believe He is good and righteous, you can’t believe He would keep good things from you just to be mean. At the end of this section we see Adam and Eve with open eyes, realizing they are naked and most importantly, feeling a new and unknown emotion… Shame. Like Adam and Eve, I often find that my disobedience leads to consequences I could have never dreamed of but consequences that are also extremely fair. So, the reality of my human condition is that I don’t want fairness, I just want my way.
As we look one last time at the beginning of Genesis 3, remember that we are not exempt from making the same mistakes as Adam and Eve. Just like in our lives, Satan works on Eve’s mind before he convinces her to follow through with the physical sin. He presents her with the same issues that he presented Christ with in the fourth chapter of Matthew and it’s the same way he presents it to us. He appeals to our flesh. “What do I want?” Food, a car, money, men? In Matthew, we find Jesus tired and hungry when the Devil approaches him. Knowing this weak point brings forth Satan’s first suggestion. Why not turn these stones into bread? Christ, of course, doesn’t fall for Satan’s tricks but we are not that good. For Eve, we see him reminding Eve of the delicious looking but out of bound tree in the Garden. Remember, he plants doubt by saying, “You will not certainly die…” Satan then appeals to our eyes. “That’s beautiful and I want it.” Once again, this can be material things or people but as I grow in my relationship with the Father I find that often Satan uses the “eyes of my heart” to make me just as discontented over beautiful things that are felt more than seen. For Christ, he takes Him to the highest point of the temple which had to be quite the view but it also very much represented a warped view of Christ’s mission on earth. In Genesis, we see that Eve finds the fruit desirable, especially for gaining wisdom which could make for a very easy excuse but that doesn’t make it a good choice. Sin’s Start Day 5 Daily Reading: Genesis 3:1-6
Sin’s Start Day 5 Finally, the Devil often appeals to our pride. We want to know more, to be more in control, to “deserve” more than others. It all goes back to comparison and the pride that comes along with that process. In Matthew, we see the Lord being offered all the kingdoms of the world which once again is a warped conclusion to His earthly mission and from a human perspective, Satan’s way might seem a little bit easier. For Eve, it’s that access to wisdom that trips her up. She now believes that the Lord is hiding something from her and she wants to know. Satan would argue that the Lord WAS hiding something from her but we know He was protecting her. Essentially, these three questions push us to the center of the universe in our minds and that is the foundation of all other sin. Spend five minutes with a toddler and it becomes obvious that what we want and desire is not always what is best for us or others and honestly, adults are just toddlers with better arguing skills. So, we toy with sin in our minds for ages, until we have a real good argument drawn up for when we get caught. Don’t entertain Satan’s dialogue and please don’t think you are clever enough to spar with him. Believe me, he has had centuries more experience. When Satan comes at you, especially in your weakness, follow the example set forth by Christ during His temptation. Speak scripture, speak truth. Don’t ignore the truth you know for the convenience of the current moment.
Sin’s Start Day 5 Today’s Prayer Father, open my eyes to the sin in my life and especially the sin I have made excuses for in the past. Help me to see where my weaknesses and temptations lie and give me the strength and wisdom to run to your truth. Thank you for forgiving me when I fall short and for never leaving me alone to face the challenges of life.
As we wrap up the first part of Eve’s story, I find myself amazed at how obvious Satan’s tricks are and yet, how often I fall for them. So often I hear people criticize Eve for the chaos she started but let me tell you… if I was in her spot I too would have fallen for the serpent’s tricks because I still fall for them today. One of the biggest struggles in the sin battle is coming to the point of realizing that you are never too good, too reformed or too strong to not mess up again or to make the same mistakes as someone else. You have the same black heart and capabilities as everyone else, if not for God. The Weekend Reflection Ponder This... When do you feel you are at your most vulnerable? When you’re stressed? Tired? Alone? Be aware of those moments. What does your eye (or heart) desire? Would this benefit your walk with God? Have you talked to the Father about these desires? Have you asked for wisdom and guidance? If you are honest with yourself, do you really want guidance with this? If not, talk to God about that as well. Next week we will look at the fallout from the conversation between Satan and Eve. We will consider the consequences of chatting with the Devil and some ways we can protect ourselves but in this moment ask the Father to open your eyes to the pride and resulting sins that are currently in your life. Ask for the wisdom to know how best to flee temptation and be willing to follow through with His plan.
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