People panic. It’s what we do. And, well, if the Covid-19 pandemic is any indication, we’re pretty good at it.
To us, every crisis seems devastating and frightening. Like a fresh wound, it’s a focused, fervent time that consumes our attention. So sometimes we forget that the first crisis happened almost as soon as the sun had risen on human history.
Adam and Eve had it good. Real good. If there had been a stock market, it would have been booming. Crops growing, sun shining, and no allergies. And then they exercised one of God’s greatest gifts to humanity—free will. To that point, it had not been challenged, only affirmed.
Eve stood before the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the serpent, Satan, provided her a chance to choose. Keep in mind, God had already told the first couple what to do and what to avoid in a moment just like this (Gen. 2:15-17). Free will is designed to be exercised in keeping with God’s intentions. When we choose against God we get into trouble.
What happened next quite literally made history, and it also instituted the first real crisis of human history. Eve chose to disobey God, and Adam followed (Gen. 3:1-6). And just like that Eden became ground zero for the first, and the worst, crisis in human history.
From it, we learn four truths that can be applied to any crisis, from your crashing finances to the spread of Covid-19.
- Believing lies makes matters worse
In a crisis knowing and following the truth is critical. Eden reminds us that the truth can very well be the difference between life and death. So the Enemy barters in lies, hoping to distract us from the truth, divide relationships, and continue the crisis (John 8:44).
So seek the truth, but even more importantly, stick to and practice the truth. One of Eve’s big mistakes was elaborating on the truth (compare Gen. 2:17 with 3:2-3). In a crisis, that can lead to errors in judgment, lies, hysteria, and hype. Stick to what is true and what is fact. The rest is usually unnecessary and even dangerous (Matt. 5:37).
It’s helpful to remember that the news media are not there first and foremost to inform, but to entertain. Hype entertains. Hysteria gains listeners and viewers. You and I are responsible to sift out the truth from all the hype.
- Worrying about the unknown doesn’t help anything
Before the crisis, the first couple had such a good relationship with God that they would meet with Him in the best part of the day for no other reason than to talk and be together. So when that time of day came, God came calling (Gen. 3:8-9). And He found his beloved children hiding in Eden because they were afraid.
For the first time, they were worried, afraid to meet with their Creator. They were trapped in their anxiety, hiding from what might happen. And fear turned them away from God, not toward Him.
Ever since we have had a difficult time figuring out whether to worry, when to worry, and how much to worry. So, most of the time, we just worry. The better move is to seek God’s help and tackle the problem, do your part and practice good habits, and then trust God for the rest (Matt. 6:25).
- Blaming everyone else prolongs the crisis.
The man blamed the woman, the woman blamed the serpent, and they all blamed God (Gen. 3:8-15). Sound familiar? From DC to main street, from homes to offices, it’s the way we direct our fear and anger in a crisis.
We blame China. China blames us. And then we blame the President, or the VP, or the guy who got the last roll of toilet paper at Wal-Mart. And all this time, know what? The virus doesn’t care. While we are busy blaming and stalling and fussing the virus is busy doing one thing–being a virus. So what we need to do is work together to work the problem. Otherwise, while we are busy blaming each other, the virus will continue to spread and more people will be infected.
And whether that crisis is Covid-19 or your empty pantry or your plummeting finances, remember, blaming someone else never solves the problem. It just prolongs it.
God held each party responsible for his or her own actions. And each action incurred its own particular consequence (Gen. 3:14-19). We are responsible for what we know and for what we do. Period.
- Trusting God instills hope for the future
The first crisis ended in tragedy. Or at least, it seemed that way. Adam and Eve were evicted from paradise, and had to enter a new, lonely, and sometimes dangerous world of sin and death. I’ve often imagined the emotional moment when they looked at Eden one last time before they walked away (Gen. 3:23). It was the only place they had ever known.
Things had changed permanently. But God did not expel them without hope. He included a concrete reminder of His love. God clothed them, and when they left Eden they wore this unmistakable symbol of His sacrificial love (3:21).
But they also learned something about God they had never known, and which they would not have known had the crisis never happened. They learned that God would love them whether they were in Eden or not. And perfect circumstances no longer dictated their faith in God. They learned that He was always their God, that He was their God in a crisis, that He was the God of hope, and that He could be trusted to have a plan so that they would have a future. They learned that some of God’s greatest work is accomplished in their worst moments (2 Cor. 12:9).
How did Adam and Eve make it through the crisis? One simple reason. They knew God intimately before the crisis occurred, but they learned more about Him because the crisis happened.
How you respond to this crisis, or any crisis, is up to you. And the better you know the God who loves you, the more likely you are to work the problem, exercise faith, and remember that He knows what comes next. “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28)