Recently, I had the privilege of attending a devotional gathering with the choir of a church in Xinjiang. The pastor led the choir members to reflect on Genesis 3 from the perspective of service, drawing valuable lessons and insights from this chapter.
Genesis 3 recounts the origin of sin, where Adam and Eve disobeyed God's command and ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. From that moment, sin entered the world, and humanity came under a curse. In this passage, the snake Satan is extremely cunning, using the inherent flaws in human nature to tempt people to view matters from a self-centered perspective.
The pastor emphasized that God created each of us differently, but each with His perfect design. We need to learn to appreciate everything God has created from His perspective. "God made us different from one another, but when we depart from God, these differences can become our weaknesses."
The pastor shared three points from this chapter. First, Satan’s attacks are constant and can come when we are unprepared. Therefore, the Lord reminds us to stay vigilant at all times. The Bible also mentions the parable of the ten virgins, encouraging us to stay alert and keep our lamps filled with oil.
Secon, do not add your own interpretations of God's word, added the pastor. Christians must read the Bible accurately. When we are not fully prepared with heart and mind, Satan distorts God's word. Satan's work is to twist God's word. For those serving in leadership, it is especially important to read the Bible carefully.
Third, Adam and Eve were a team. God gave them authority to maintain, cultivate, and guard, but instead, they shifted the blame onto each other. "We must understand that we are not individuals but part of a collective, and we need to look out for and cover one another. Pushing a companion away in times of trouble reveals an inability to bear their weaknesses. In reality, the success or failure of one affects the whole, embodying the concept of community." The pastor reminded believers that a team must support one another and take responsibility rather than shirk it.
After Adam and Eve sinned, God first questioned Adam, teaching us that if a staff worker in the church encounters a problem, it is related to us as well. "Have you been caring for them? We are whole, and we must have a sense of the bigger picture." In God's eyes, when one member falters, the whole church is weakened. Whether it is a choir, a fellowship group, or the entire church, we need to recognize that we are a collective. When a church worker faces an issue, it is not something to ignore; rather, we should pray for them and point out their problems. The Bible says, "Better is open rebuke than hidden love."
Adam failed to watch over Eve; the Bible says that a woman is the bone of a man’s bones and flesh of his flesh. No one can separate themselves from others; this is the bigger picture, and we must watch over one another. On that day, some choir members were absent due to illness, and the pastor reminded church members to pray for their health, also mentioning that there are not only physical illnesses but also spiritual illnesses and weaknesses. He urged them to care for those around them: "If someone is absent, did you call to check on them? If you saw it and did nothing, that is sinning against God. Not only are they 'sick,' but you are ‘sick’ too."
In fact, there is unspeakable pain in sin. The result of sin is death, which separates people from each other and from God. But we are grateful that God, through Jesus Christ, has opened up the way to life for us. So in another sense, death is also a blessing; it allows us to escape the sinful world, though judgment follows death.
In God, weakness becomes strength. But if we depart from God, we are like a tree in the desert, utterly helpless. Finally, the pastor encouraged Christians to cherish the moments when God is with us, to come to worship Him, and to serve Him. He reminded them to hold on to the opportunity to serve and not give up because of a little difficulty. In the end, Adam and Eve were driven out, losing the responsibility of tending and keeping the Garden of Eden, which was a great pain and pity.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
