Part 4 (1/2)

Submit yourselves, then, to G.o.d. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 Know G.o.d's Word so you won't be fooled.

When the serpents in our lives say, ”Did G.o.d really say...?” let's be the first on our block to declare, ”No, G.o.d did not!” Because Eve didn't remember the words of G.o.d's one commandment accurately, she left herself wide open for temptation to rush in. Studying, even memorizing, verses from the Bible gives us the strength to say no because we know.

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11 Watch out for the Big Three.

Women are physical, emotional, and spiritual in nature, and all three areas have their weak spots. In Eve's case, the serpent sank his fangs into all three, by appealing to her physical appet.i.te for food, her emotional appreciation of beauty, and her spiritual desire to be like G.o.d. Satan uses exactly the same tactics today. He's not creative in the least, just persistent. By identifying our weaknesses in all three areas, then arming ourselves with biblical defense methods, we can keep from experiencing our own daily (hourly!) reenactment of the Fall.

For everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man, the l.u.s.t of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world. 1 John 2:16 Let's avoid the blame game.

As one of six kids, I remember shouting at a very young age, ”Not me! Not me!” s.h.i.+fting blame is practically an American pastime. So whom shall we blame for our proclivity to sin? Our mothers? Our grandmothers? Wanna go all the way back to Eve? Or take a page from Adam's diary and blame G.o.d-”It's your fault, Lord. You made me this way!” No. G.o.d gave us his Spirit to empower us, his Word to strengthen us, and his Son to catch us when we fall. We have no one to blame but ourselves when we choose to sin. And no one to thank but our Creator when he chooses to save us from our sins...again.

Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to G.o.d-through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:24-25

Good Girl Thoughts Worth Considering.

1. Eve's first two mistakes involved getting into a discussion with the serpent about what G.o.d had and had not said. Have you ever walked into that kind of trap, either in your own heart or face to face with someone who doubted G.o.d's Word? Did it have the outcome you hoped for? What did you learn from the experience? What might you do next time?

2. Her next two mistakes weren't oral but visual: She was looking in the wrong place. Her eyes were on herself instead of G.o.d, and she wanted her eyes to be opened. Have you ever gone exploring with your eyes wide open and discovered more than you bargained for? What leads us into the temptation to look in the wrong places? What practical methods could we use to keep our eyes on G.o.d?

3. Eve wanted to be like G.o.d, knowing good and evil. ”I can do it myself” and ”I know best” often spill out of our minds if not our mouths. Find three verses in Scripture that emphasize why being like G.o.d is impossible and wanting to be so is sinful.

4. Eve couldn't stop looking at the tree or listening to her growling stomach or marveling at how pretty the fruit was or thinking how helpful it would be to have more knowledge. Our craving for more is manifested in every area of our lives. What do you want more of right now physically? Emotionally? Spiritually? Do any of those desires dovetail with the Word and will of G.o.d? If not, how can you adjust them to be Christ-centered rather than me-centered?

5. At the very point Eve could have stopped herself, she didn't. Been there? How do you feel when you don't stop? How do you feel when you do manage to control that urge to sin? What have you learned from those encounters? Eve did eat the fruit. What might you have said to her just before the first bite? What about after that fatal bite? When she offered Adam a taste, she sinned again. What thought processes do we need to go through to stop such a cycle of sin in our own lives and the tragedy of encouraging others to sin with us?

6. Eve's big cover-up came next. Hiding behind skimpy leaves, then hiding behind trees. Can you think of a time you physically tried to cover up the evidence of sin? Was it effective? Why or why not? Is covering up as ”serious” a sin as the initial act of disobedience? Why or why not?

7. Her final mistake was one we all make: putting the blame on someone else. ”The snake tricked me” was her ploy. Who or what do you tend to blame first when you sin: a friend? Your parents? Your husband or children? Your job situation? Your finances? The Adversary? The Lord? How can we stop playing the blame game? What's the biblical model for handling sin in our lives, step by step? Can you come up with a handy reminder for those important steps?

8. What's the most important lesson you learned from the story of this mother of all Bad Girls, Eve?

2.

BORED TO.

DISTRACTION.

Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned,

Nor h.e.l.l a fury like a woman scorned.

WILLIAM CONGREVE.

Mitzi leaned across the breakfast table toward her husband, making sure she was offering him an eyeful. ”So...may I serve you something else before you head to the office?”

Apparently his eyes were too full of the morning news to notice.

”Speaking of the office, honey, you're gonna love the new guy.” Christopher rustled the front pages of the Indianapolis Star with authority, not even glancing up to check if she was listening. ”Hired him last month, and already I can see potential. Joe's a real go-getter but solid, too. The kind of man you can trust with the company bankbook.” Chris lowered the paper long enough to give her a meaningful wink. ”And everything else.”

Buster, if you only knew. But he didn't know, couldn't imagine how lonely her days were, waiting for him to get home from work and give her the attention she deserved.

She rose from the soft tapestry cus.h.i.+ons of one of her brand-new dining room chairs, an expensive addition to a house already crammed with pricey furniture from the best stores on Allisonville Road. They'd lived in Indianapolis for a dozen years, but no matter how much she decorated the place, it still didn't feel like home.

”Home is where your husband is,” her mother-in-law had chided her more than once.

”Then tell him to stay home!” she'd snapped back.

Mitzi poured Chris a fresh cup of his favorite custom-blended coffee, then another for herself, enjoying the rich aroma and smiling to herself. Delicious, yes, but not nearly as appealing as the musky aftershave Joe had been wearing at the company picnic last weekend.

Did Christopher think she was blind? That she didn't see the handsome young guy with his lean muscles and big, brown eyes? Fat chance I'd miss a hunk like that.

She had eyed him at a distance, found an excuse to stand near him, then pretended not to notice him. Noticing me. Must have been the jumpsuit cut to there that caught his eye, precisely as she'd planned.

Oh, she'd heard the rumors. That he was a real do-gooder. Lived a squeaky-clean lifestyle. Was religious to a fault.

Perfect. She needed a challenge. Christopher was too easy to fool, too trusting. The man left her alone with no one to keep her company but a housekeeper, a gardener, and the UPS guy daily bringing her another box of flimsy lingerie ordered from one of her stacks of catalogs.

Not that Christopher ever paid any attention to what she wore. The dinner menu-now that garnered his interest. He pored over back issues of Gourmet and Bon Appet.i.t as if they were Holy Writ. She, however, ate as little as possible. How else was she going to maintain her twentysomething figure with midlife knocking at her door?

She needed Joe knocking at her door. That would put a little pep in her step, a little glide in her stride. Mitzi knew exactly how to make that dream come true too.

Her voice dripped like honey. ”Will you be home in time for dinner, Christopher?”

”Not tonight, sweetheart.” Snapping the paper shut and tossing it aside, he stretched to his feet. ”Meetings with the CEO all day. I'm his right-hand man, remember? Gotta be there to keep things on track. We're sponsoring a racecar in the 500 this May, which means a longer-than-usual meeting right through lunch, right through dinner.”

The Indy 500. Fast cars. Faster men. A s.h.i.+ver of delight tingled up her spine.

He shrugged into his suit coat. ”I hate those catered boardroom meals. Taste like cardboard.” He tweaked her nose. ”Not like the feasts my wife arranges for me. Rack of lamb. Lobster bisque. Blackened trout.” He groaned with pleasure. ”Makes my mouth water just to think about it.”

Mitzi forced a smile to her lips. If only you knew how hungry I am, husband of mine. ”So,” she sighed. ”When should I expect you?”

He twirled the keys to his Porsche around his finger. ”Probably won't get home until ten at the earliest. Why? Miss me already?”

Oh, I'll miss you, all right. Joe will come and go before you ever darken this door. ”Not to worry. I'll be fine.”

He bent down to press his lips lightly on her forehead. Not even a kiss on the mouth! Who could blame her for looking elsewhere for love and affection? She was a pa.s.sionate woman. She deserved a lover who was her equal. Joe was apparently gung-ho about experiencing joy in the spirit. Wait until he gets a taste of joy in the fles.h.!.+ Mitzi casually waved at Christopher's car backing down the drive as she composed a mental list of the tasks required for the hours ahead.