Do You Ever Wonder?

I have often wondered how first Eve, then Adam, couldn’t simply say ‘no’ to this one simple thing—the fruit God had told them not to eat. I mean—they had full access to everything else they could possibly want. Why not just be satisfied?

Along with how we humans are made are a couple qualities that can either be used for good or for evil.

God made us curious.

God put in us a desire for more.

These are good qualities! Our problem is that often we put our fleshly desires ahead of what is truly beneficial for us (God-birthed desires).  There is a choice.

It has been said that “curiosity killed the cat.” And we know it has killed more than just that—think of those who’ve taken a “new drug” in order to experience some promised thrilling sensation, never to wake up again. When curiosity crosses the line of reason, it can spiral downward into all kinds of calamities. Curiosity getting the better of reason is a recipe for disaster.

But when we are curious about, for instance, the things of God—that pursuit can have very positive results. When we are curious about our children, it leads us to get to know what makes them tick—to find ways to show them love that speak uniquely to their individual hearts. That too is a worthwhile pursuit. In a moment of curious thought, we have an opportunity to evaluate whether or not that thought is of “the mind of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5)…and if not, to take it captive.

The complete verse reads: “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Oh, the marvelous-sounding arguments and pretenses of the serpent! The fruit was not a godly pursuit—it was a sadly, vainly, destructively human one. And curiosity—which led to sin—killed mankind. But thankfully, we have a Redeemer who came to save us from our sins—from ourselves really. Jesus has given us His righteousness, His thoughts, His very Spirit—so that when those curiosities come, we will know beyond a shadow of doubt if they are of Christ.

A captive thought cannot take one over; it has been put in its place.

Add to curiosity the human desire for more. We want to learn more, have more, be more. In some ways, it’s an off-shoot of curiosity (What would it be like to have such-and-such? Or What if I went back to college and studied such-and-so?). This desire too has a good side and a bad one.

More of God’s presence? Good desire. More alcohol (when a reasonable limit has already been reached)? Bad desire. More discipline to accomplish goals? Good desire. More chocolate (in excess)? Bad desire. Grow closer to one’s spouse? Good desire. Cheat on one’s spouse? Bad desire.

The differences seem obvious. Yet so often the lines can be blurred when we begin to—just for a moment—entertain the possibilities, as Eve did.

I know life isn’t always black and white, but I also know that the danger zone often lies in the gray area. Maybe I could eat just one more cupcake. It’s not really such a big deal. But if you are a diabetic or someone struggling with food addiction/chronic obesity, it is a big deal.

Not everything is a temptation—or at least one that leads to sin—to every person. But we have to ask God to search our hearts so that we know where our weaknesses lie—and ask Him for His help. “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24, KJV). How might the story of mankind have been drastically different had Eve prayed this prayer…but therein lay the deception—it didn’t seem bad; it didn’t look bad. There was no concept of evil at that time.  Only obedience based on a relationship with a loving, trustworthy God. Sometimes we just have to take God at His Word.

And therein lies the struggle of humanity—we so often choose not to listen. We let our curiosity and our desire for more manifest themselves in the most destructive ways possible. But if each one of us will submit to the Lord, delighting in Him, “he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

We need the Lord to give us His desires so that our thoughts line up with His.

Do you ever wonder what Eve could have or should have said to the serpent that might have turned the tide of all human history? Would any one of us have done differently? I daresay, no—at some point, that element of curious choice would have gotten the best of us, and we would have let our own brand of reason elevate itself against the wisdom of God. Which is dangerous—because we don’t think like God! ““For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). How precious is the ear that listens to the Lord’s instruction.

So, though we may wonder, the story has unfolded—and is still unfolding—in each one of us. But consider this…do you ever wonder why God gave us the choice, knowing we would blow it, and then provided a way out for all of creation? In His infinite wisdom and all-surpassing love, He could do nothing else—that is a curiosity worth pondering, and one worth praising Him for.