Adam and Eve did not know the meaning of Life, or they wouldn’t have traded it for the knowledge of good and evil.

Every day, we are given a choice to choose Life or to choose our own understanding. One brings peace, the other a perpetual wrestle of our own logic and reasoning. The problem is, we were never created to wrestle God to the ground. Jacob tried, and he ended up with a hurt hip and a limp. You can read all about it here. Audacity is costly, so is surrender, but only surrender brings meaning to life.

God put it this way when he spoke of that tree of knowedge of good and evil in Genesis 2:16-17:

“Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die.”

Why was it so wrong to eat of that tree? Isn’t knowledge of good and evil supposed to be a good way for us to live our lives? How else would we be able to practice discernment in knowing which way to go if we don’t consider what is good and evil?

The problem is, we are not God. We were never meant to handle all that.

Let me say it again, we were not ever meant to live this life constantly relying on our own understanding and applying our own knowledge.

Although we don’t like to admit it, we are finite, limited human beings, and all we attempt to research outside of God’s counsel will also be limited in scope as the information is produced by other finite, limited human beings who love constantly researching, too.

But, we are limited to our own thoughts, worldviews, and experiences, and so is everyone else. So, if we think that our limited supply will somehow be what LIFE is all about, we are greatly mistaken.

Perhaps, we can take a break and listen to this song for a moment from an album from 1989, where the songwriter reflects on the meaning of life. He writes:

“There is more to this life than living or dying, more than just trying to make it through the day.”

When he first wrote the song, Steven Curtis Chapman was in his prime. It was the 90’s and many Christians grew up following his music and his love for the Lord. We can tell by listening, that he was a younger man then, not quite experienced, but still trusting God. This is a video probably captured in 1990.

But, 18 years ago on May 21, 2008, Steven and his wife, Mary Beth, faced a great tragedy. They lost their young adopted 5 year old daughter Maria due to an accident that brought much grief to their entire family.

As I’m writing this, I had no idea how timely it was that I thought of his song today. I get both tears and goosebumps right now realizing that it was almost 18 years today that they faced one of their hardest griefs, and I’m just sharing it on my blog today by divine appointment! I hope the Steven Curtis Chapman gets to read my blog because I believe he discovered something about the meaning of life in his youth that kept him these years, even through his pain, and he is STILL singing about it. Amazing!!!

I feel God’s whispers of grace and his love in all this. So, let’s listen closer.

In my research of Steven Curtis Chapman’s song today, I came across a recording of him singing it just two years ago, as well. He is an older man now, more experienced, and he has, as I’ve already mentioned, understood life’s joys as well as life’s griefs. You can hear him singing it here:

But the line that catches me in both renditions of his song is from the bridge. It shares the meaning of Life. You will find it in bold below:

“So where do we start to find every part
Of what makes this life complete?

Jesus died to bring us more to this life than living and dying
More than just trying to make it through the day
More to this life, more than these eyes alone can see

I hope if you took time to watch the videos you were touched by his song of innocence, now his song of experience, as William Blake would say. I love how in both renditions he has remained true and consistent to herald the one name, Jesus Christ, who died to give us the meaning to life!!!

To Bring This all Home

In that same garden of Eden, there was a different tree, the Tree of Life. Adam and Eve had permission to partake of that tree along with all the others, but they didn’t seem to be drawn to its value. It’s interesting how the Tree of Life was clearly marked with a distinctive name.

Tree of Life.

Why hadn’t Eve been curious about the meaning behind that special tree?

It’s because some things in life are taken for granted.

In our innocence, in our youth, in our ignorance, in our simplicity…sometimes we just take things for granted, and God seems to give us a grace for that.

By ignoring the value of the Tree of Life and instead by eating from the tree of self-illusion, self-reliance, and ultimately self-knowledge, we often make the same mistakes all over again today, leaning on our knowledge of good and evil as a strength, when all the while, it keeps us from doing the only thing God ever wanted us to do—to know and depend on Him for Life.

That’s where we need to take a moment to reflect.

The meaning of life is only found in Life Himself. And, those who eat of His fruit from His tree, will never die.

The Him we are talking about here is clearly Jesus. Although it takes a moment to put everything together, it’s amazing when the revelation all comes together.

Jesus was in the garden of Eden; He was there at the beginning of creation as the Tree of Life. And, He gives LIFE meaning still today.

I believe that when we have a true taste of what Life is all about, we will agree with Steven Curtis Chapman who sang:

“If we turn our eyes to Jesus we’ll find
Life’s true beginning is there at the cross where He died.”

Some answers don’t become clear until we’re willing to see the Truth. The more we rely on our own understanding, eating from that tree of knowledge of good and evil, we miss out on the gift that’s been with us all along, the Tree of Life, Jesus Christ. Only when we partake of Him will we really understand the meaning of Life.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

I hope that when we have the chance at any stage in our lives to choose our own understanding or the way of Life, that we will always choose Life.

Blessings!

Christine 🌼