Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.
Genesis 2:15-17

The Garden of Eden presents a microcosm of our universe and the world in which we live. God puts us in the garden. He tells us to cultivate and keep it. He allows us to eat freely from any tree of the garden. He warns against eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If we stick to these rules, we will thrive, and He will bless us.

First, just as God placed Adam and Eve in Eden, God places us in our own Garden of Eden. Good or bad, tortuous or blissful, God places us in our present life situations. Life choices, random occurrences, or luck do not place us at our present circumstances: God creates this specific Eden for us. It might not look like it at times, but God has placed us in the best possible situation. In our Garden of Eden, we find the path to success, the path to serving God, the path to getting closer to God, and the path to please and turn glory to Him. This all happens in our Eden! So don’t look to escape your present life or envy the lives of others. Embrace it. Realize and accept without a shred of doubt our Garden of Eden is the best possible situation.

Second, while living in our Garden of Eden, we must cultivate it. To cultivate means to take control of our lives. Don’t let life run you over. Take control! When we encounter situations in life, it’s easy to succumb to temptations or be overwhelmed by circumstances. We become flustered and crumble. We lose ourselves and become passive to the crisis. To “cultivate” our Eden, we must act according to God’s teachings. We must follow His guidance. We must be moved by the Holy Spirit. God gives us situations in life because He loves us. If we cultivate our Eden by sticking close to God, He shows us the path to life and happiness. We must avoid complaining and grumbling against God. We can easily curse our situation and covet the lives and situations of others. That’s not cultivating our garden. Whatever comes our way, we must be ready to cultivate our Garden of Eden with a grateful and blissful heart. There’s no room in our Eden for lamenting and complaining.

Third, we must “keep” our Garden of Eden. We must guard, protect, and watch over our garden. We must expel things that don’t belong and preserve things that do belong. If we are harboring the wrong desires, the wrong hopes, the wrong temperament, the wrong fears, the wrong actions, we must expel them from our garden. Many forces act upon us. Our job is to repel that which doesn’t belong. The situations and circumstances we face continue to change and evolve. Whatever comes our way, we must believe without wavering God has created that situation, and since God tells us to “keep” the garden, we have the authority to expel a thought, idea, desire, and hope that have no place in our garden. Watch over and protect our garden from invaders that seek to destroy us.

Fourth, God says to eat freely from any tree of the garden. God does not forbid us from making money, acquiring power, or doing business. Merely, God says to do these things while adhering to His laws. God doesn’t expect us to sit still and do nothing to avoid sinning. He wants us to work hard, seek pleasure and happiness. He wants us to “eat freely” but not at the expense of God’s laws.

Finally, God wants us to “eat freely,” do and accomplish those things which are not sinful. However, He commands us not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Don’t eat the forbidden fruit. Don’t eat that forbidden thought. Don’t do that forbidden act. Don’t work at that forbidden job. Don’t engage in that forbidden relationship. Regardless of how enticing it may look, stay away from it if God has deemed it forbidden. Whether it comes from inside or outside of our body, stay away from those things that are not Godly.

We live in our own Garden of Eden. It can be paradise if we remember these five things.  Our Garden of Eden is our chance to grow closer to God. It’s our chance to grow intimate with Him. With God watching over us, He protects us and showers His blessings upon us.

Summary
1. God places us in our own Garden of Eden
2. Cultivate the garden
3. Keep the garden
4. Eat freely from any tree
5. Don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

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