We all want paradise. We all want perfection. We all wish and wonder that pain and suffering was no more.
Unfortunately, brokenness entered this world and continues to repeat, no matter how much love and light is spread around us.
We had EVERYTHING, and yet we were so focused on the ONE thing we didn't have and believed we couldn't have. (Okay, by we, I mean our homeboy and homegirl Adam and Eve.)
We can point all the fingers we want to those "original two" and the "first and original sin", but the truth is, we still do this today.
Even with knowing that they made this choice and we could make a different one.
Even with knowing what had to be done on our behalf BECAUSE of perpetual and habitual sin and brokenness in this world.
Even with the truth of how sacrificial, excruciatingly painful and gory of what Jesus did for us so we could believe without a shadow of a doubt, that we are loved and that our sins are paid for, do we still have doubt.
I'll summarize that last one, because I'm sure you either were confused or loved the grammar on it. ;)
We already know that we don't have to earn or strive for love, acceptance, or propitiation because we have the knowledge of what Jesus did for us. And by His resurrection, we now have the Holy Spirit as our helper, and yet, we still strive for it all! We still doubt. We still worry. We still try to control. We still want more things, even when we have SO many things.
We are no different from Adam and Eve!
So what CAN we do?
Don't focus on Eden.
Don't focus on desiring paradise, being all-knowing, and having a pain-free life.
Have an ANTI-Eden mindset.
Instead of having EVERYTHING and wanting the ONE thing they believed they couldn't have….realize and believe that you ALREADY have EVERYTHING in the ONE person and the ONE act that was done on your behalf. (Romans 5:18-21)
When you do, you will start to believe that the Eden you are searching for, you already have it all in Jesus: Paradise (whether here or in Heaven), someone who is ALL-KNOWING so you don't have to be, and someone who suffered an immeasurable amount, so you wouldn't feel the full weight of the pain here on Earth, AND so you will be pain-free and whole one day in glory with Him.
When you do, you will stop striving and chasing earthly things, and instead you will be seeing and spending more time with Jesus and serving for eternal things.
Then all of the sudden, all of those other earthly things start growing dimmer and dimmer, and that paradise in Heaven, actually starts transferring here on Earth, regardless of whether your circumstances change...
...because you're not putting your faith, trust and hope in Eden; you're putting it in the One who created Eden, and who IS everything we desire from Eden and MORE!
