Saturday, November 5, 2011

Leaving Eden, Pt. 2: What Is Your Apple?


Brandon Heath: What is your apple? What is the thing that is stealing your innocence? What takes you out of Eden?... What's stealing Eden away from you?

This is an important question to answer for each one of us. We all have weaknesses; we all deal with areas of our lives that cause us to stumble, fall, and make mistakes that we regret. We have to acknowledge these areas in our lives we are going to let God transform our hearts and change us.

I would have to say my apple is the need to succeed. Since I was younger, I always used put a high emphasis on winning and accomplishments. Whether it was on the baseball field, the classroom, relationally, or in some other fashion, I used to link my happiness with my success. And I realized that this was a colossal mistake. Whenever I failed to reach or goal or something did not necessarily go my way, my pride and my ego got in the way. In many instances I would succumb to anger, lashing out at others and just being bitter. I felt that I could do it myself instead of trusting God to provide for me. And that only left me feeling broken, empty and bitter. 

Like Brandon says, there are a lot of things can cause us to lose our innocence. It could be an unhealthy relationship. A suffocating job. A short temper. A family member. 

Whatever it is, give it to God. Do not try and face it alone. He wants to meet you and me where we are so that we can live free of those struggles. When facing the temptations of our apples, remember that God has a better way and plan that is better than anything we can ever conceive. I have to tell myself not to let my apple, my idea of success and what it can do for me, keep me from experiencing all that God has prepared for me.  

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