Learning to Lovewell: W2 - FRI
A God to Befriend
Genesis 3:8-21 (NLT) Looking at the whole story: From hiding in fear to being covered in love.
When we read Genesis 3 as one complete story, we see the most beautiful picture of God's heart toward humanity. This isn't a story about an angry God looking to punish. This is a story about a heartbroken God looking to restore.
Adam and Eve expect judgment, they're hiding in terror, waiting for the hammer to fall. But instead of condemnation, they receive conversation. Instead of punishment, they receive pursuit. Instead of abandonment, they receive covering. This is a God who can be befriended, not feared.
Yes, there are consequences to their choices. Sin always has consequences. But the consequences come wrapped in love, cushioned by care, and accompanied by hope. Even the curse contains hints of redemption. Even in discipline, God is working toward restoration.
This sets the tone for every interaction between God and humanity that follows. This is the God who calls Abraham to be His friend. This is the God who wrestles with Jacob and gives him a new name. This is the God who walks with Enoch and converses with Moses face to face. And ultimately, this is the God who becomes flesh in Jesus Christ and says, "I no longer call you servants, but friends."
The God we meet in Genesis 3 is the same God who seeks us out, covers our shame, and invites us into relationships despite our failures.
Learning to Lovewell means becoming this kind of person for others. Not the person everyone has to fear disappointing, but the person everyone knows they can turn to when they've messed up. Not the person who holds grudges, but the person who holds hope. Not the person who says "I told you so," but the person who says "How can I help?"
When people think about coming to you with their failures, their struggles, their shame, do they see someone who will judge them, or someone who will cover them? Do they see someone to fear, or someone to befriend?
Genesis 3:8-21 (NLT) Looking at the whole story: From hiding in fear to being covered in love.
When we read Genesis 3 as one complete story, we see the most beautiful picture of God's heart toward humanity. This isn't a story about an angry God looking to punish. This is a story about a heartbroken God looking to restore.
Adam and Eve expect judgment, they're hiding in terror, waiting for the hammer to fall. But instead of condemnation, they receive conversation. Instead of punishment, they receive pursuit. Instead of abandonment, they receive covering. This is a God who can be befriended, not feared.
Yes, there are consequences to their choices. Sin always has consequences. But the consequences come wrapped in love, cushioned by care, and accompanied by hope. Even the curse contains hints of redemption. Even in discipline, God is working toward restoration.
This sets the tone for every interaction between God and humanity that follows. This is the God who calls Abraham to be His friend. This is the God who wrestles with Jacob and gives him a new name. This is the God who walks with Enoch and converses with Moses face to face. And ultimately, this is the God who becomes flesh in Jesus Christ and says, "I no longer call you servants, but friends."
The God we meet in Genesis 3 is the same God who seeks us out, covers our shame, and invites us into relationships despite our failures.
Learning to Lovewell means becoming this kind of person for others. Not the person everyone has to fear disappointing, but the person everyone knows they can turn to when they've messed up. Not the person who holds grudges, but the person who holds hope. Not the person who says "I told you so," but the person who says "How can I help?"
When people think about coming to you with their failures, their struggles, their shame, do they see someone who will judge them, or someone who will cover them? Do they see someone to fear, or someone to befriend?
- How can you become a "safe person" for others when they're struggling with failure or shame?
- What would change in your relationships if people saw you as someone who covers rather than exposes their weaknesses?
- How does knowing that God pursues you in your failures change how you pursue others in theirs.
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