The "Right" Headspace


Have you ever heard the saying - "don't make a mountain out of a molehill?"

If you Google it you'll see the saying refers to "an overreactive response which seeks to make a minor inconvenience seem like a serious problem"

In reading the book of Genesis, what stood out to me was how easily Satan got Eve to focus on the one thing she didn't have, rather than all the things she and Adam did have.

I think that is one of his best tricks...

I mean for goodness sakes - the couple was living in the Garden of Eden, and in Hebrew - the word Eden means "delight"- so they were literally living in the Garden of Delight.

In the garden their needs were taken care of.  They were unashamed and living among a great variety of animals and fruit-bearing trees.  They had free reign, and free will, and the only thing God asked of them was that they not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

So when Satan asked Eve, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?" and she responded with "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die," (Genesis 3:1-4) Eve was making a mountain out of a molehill.  

First - she added "do not touch" to the equation - presumably to make their plight worse than it was and to garner attention and sympathy from Satan.

Then, instead of saying, "Yes, God DID say that we were not to eat of the fruit of that tree - but look at all He has given us.  We are living in paradise and He only asked one thing of us, so, to honor him, we're going to obey His request", her words and mind focused on the small thing she did not have.

Often when we are feeling sad or depressed, unappreciated or unheard - it is because we are operating in the wrong headspace.  We are laser focused on the little things that hurt, bother or annoy us - rather than opening our eyes to the larger picture, and focusing on all of the blessings and good things we DO have.

Today, let us remember to be happy for all that we do have, and not sad over what we do not.

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." - Philippians 4:8

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