Gen*e*sis

noun

1.) origin or mode of formation

* DISCLAIMER: After taking a look around the site, I hope by now my approach to understanding these stories is clear. These articles are not sermons passing along God’s instructions for us. Rather, my intent is to illuminate the problems man has been facing time immemorial due to the inherent flaws in our nature, and provide the lessons we can take away from the failures and successes of those that have come before us. A “secular sermon” if you will. My deductions are by no means “the way” or the only interpretation of meaning. I simply hope through my sharing of them you are able to see patterns between them and the lessons you have learned in your own life.

My approach to reading Genesis was to be present and follow along intently! I simply read each chapter and reflected on what the character (sometimes that character is God) did or failed to do which brought about either success or failure. Then, if a moral could be pulled from the story (not every story provided something I felt was significant enough to share), I would jot down the verse, my takeaway, and then a recommendation for application in our lives today. I highly recommend this format of note taking, it can be very helpful when preparing recommendations based on conclusions from your analysis of data at work:

What: raw data	So what: deduction/conclusion	Now what: way ahead, how to correct for success
We only had 18 visits to our site this month.	Our availability to the public via web browsers is low due to a lack of marketing and advertisements.	To increase our relevancy to web browser AIs, we need to increase popular advertisements on our page using Google adSense.

No better place to begin than the beginning.

Regardless of your faith, many of you will have encountered the creation story and lessons from Genesis through music, movies, or books. It begins with God creating the universe, the world, and man in seven days. Next comes the story of Adam and Eve and the expulsion from the garden of Eden after eating from the tree of knowledge. Followed by the original brothers’ quarrel between Cain and Abel, Noah and the great flood, Abraham nearly sacrificing his son to God, so on and so forth.

Below we will highlight key verses that sum-up the message of a particular story, and address not only what the moral is, but how to go about enacting that moral in your life.

Story of Creation: in the beginning there was nothing, then for some unaccounted for reason, God begins to systematically create the universe. His method of creation is deliberate (even though the writing makes it sound cavalier) as each creation sets the stage for the next. God holds his creations to the standard of “good”, and though the Bible does not describe what “good” is to God, we can still define what good is to us by being very descriptive in our intentions (reference the screening and evaluation criteria below). After God has created the universe and all of it’s inhabitants, he rests.

Major Theme: when we begin with the end in mind, and plan backwards from the vision of a successful end-state, we can make decisions and creations with full commitment and without fear of the unknown.

 

What: Verse/quotation	So what: Moral of the story	Now what: Application/technique
1: 21-22 “So God created great sea-creatures and every sort of fish and every kind of bird. And God saw that it was good. Then God blessed them…”	From nothing can come something, through creativity and action. You may not always have the best answer or know how something will turn out, but you will never know if you don’t do it! The key to this story is that once you have created or actioned something you must always evaluate whether your intent has been met. God “saw that it was good” before he blessed his creation and moved on.	There are many different methods for evaluation. Key to your process will be identifying observable criteria with measurable outcomes. Limit yourself to 5 observable evaluation criteria. Also of use before you begin, take stock to make sure your plan is set up for success. Use screening criteria to help you do this. Is your plan 1. Feasible 2. acceptable 3. suitable and 4. complete?
2:2 “On the seventh day, having finished his task, God rested from all his work.”	Whether or not you believe in God, we can understand that to the authors of the Bible he is the exemplar of righteousness. So, if we understand God to embody perfection in these stories, then essentially the authors are telling us that even the greats relax. We must not confuse neurotic behavior with progress. “Work” is not a state of being. It is an action in direct opposition of the state of being of “rest”. Make your actions more effective by giving them maximum energy and attention when you are working and restoring both when you are not.	One of the most popular methods of resting and recharging your batteries today is meditation. If you don’t know how to, check out this instructional video here. If you’ve been trying forever and just can’t figure it out, try box breathing. Instructional video here. I also use the “Box Breathing” app, free in the Apple App Store.

 

Story of Adam and Eve: God created man from dirt and ash to live as ruler over all the earth and its creatures. He places Adam, the first man, in the Garden of Eden to tend to the plants and animals. God sees that it is not good for Adam to be alone so he creates woman, Eve, by taking a piece from Adam. God instructs them that they may enjoy all the fruits their labor in the garden has to offer, however if they are to eat from the tree of knowledge or the tree of life they will surely die. Tempted by Satan in the form of a serpent, Eve eats from the tree of knowledge and shares the fruit with Adam. God finds out what happened and banishes them from the garden to ensure they do not eat from the tree of life and thus become immortal = Gods.

Major Theme: whether or not you are disobeying God, the main takeaway from the banishment of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden is that trustworthiness, your reputation, and credibility are your lifeblood. Tarnishing them by not keeping a promise or fulfilling an obligation is a stain that is hard to wipe off… (hence the whole Jesus thing)

 

What: Verse/quotation	So what: Moral of the story	Now what: Application/technique
2:15 “The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and care for it.”	Man is a creature that flourishes when given a duty. We need responsibility to feel and see our impact in the world and justify our existence. God created Man purposefully, because “no one was there to cultivate the soil.” (2:5) The authors of the Bible are showing that it is best for Man to live a purposed life.	Pablo Picasso said “the meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” Finding your purpose can be a time consuming and emotional journey. Sociologists and philosophers have been analyzing the challenge for centuries. Ethnographer (student of cultural phenomena) Simon Sinek helps us answer that question in his book Finding Your Why: Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You or Your Team. (link in the title) The Japanese have a method for finding your life’s purpose called Ikigai. Ikigai asks you to answer four questions, the crossroad is where your ultimate fulfillment resides. Find a job in that field and you’ve won the existential lottery, but linking just two or three of your answers into your work could still provide an extremely rewarding life for you. Click on the link above to try the Ikigai method for yourself.

 

The Story of Cain and Abel: Cain and Abel are the sons of Adam and Eve. The first live birth humans! Cain, the oldest, would grow up to be a farmer, and Abel would become a shepherd. At harvest time, Cain and Abel would both bring God an offering of their finest. One harvest, God did not accept Cain’s offering, but he did accept Abel’s. This angered Cain deeply, so much so that he was visibly disturbed before God. God asks Cain why he is so upset, and tells him that if he deals with his emotion properly he will be accepted by God.

Later Cain convinces Abel to join him out in the fields where he attacks and kills him out of jealousy. God, so horrified by what Cain had done, banishes him from Eden to a life of wandering the badlands, curses him from finding any abundance in farming, and protects him from murder so he will never be able to escape the agony of remorse for what he had done. He would spend the rest of his days working the earth for only enough to survive on.

Major Theme:  When we don’t stop and think about what we’re doing, we can wind up making a whole lot of trouble for ourselves. We are still responsible for our actions regardless if they’re “crimes of passion” or cold-blooded. Thoughtless actions can bring about irreparable damage.

 

What: Verse/quotation	So what: Moral of the story	Now what: Application/technique
4:6-7 “Why are you so angry?’ the Lord asked him. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you respond in the right way. But if you refuse to respond correctly, then watch out! Sin is waiting to attack and destroy you, and you must subdue it.”	Cain had gone mad with jealousy, yet God was not surprised because jealousy is a natural bi-product of having a brain and being able to determine which is the best between two options. Instead, God gives Cain the opportunity to control his emotions, respond in an appropriate manner, and become the master of himself. Just because the emotions you feel may immediately follow an incident, doesn’t mean your actions or response must.	Jealousy is such a common and destructive emotion, particularly in our digital age. Social media allows us to peer into lives that are fruiting in areas and at levels unimaginable to us. Our brains are constantly comparing us to the lavish and extreme lifestyles of those we wish to emulate. While comparisons can cause us to of less value than another, a well calculated comparison can show us exactly where we need to improve to achieve our goals. Jealousy, therefore, is not an inherently evil thing. *caution, philosophy road ahead* There exists a disconnect between the emotions you feel and the actions you take. It is this space that grants you moral agency, and thus makes you accountable for your actions. It is this principle of controlling your response that Stoic philosophy is most credited with. Stoics take it a step even further and focus on the space between your senses and emotion. Marcus Aurelius helps us understand that in his Meditations: “If it is my own opinion which harms thee who hinders me from changing my opinion?” Learn more on how to take control of your emotions and go from reacting to responding here.

 

Check out the next article as we visit the stories of Noah and the great flood, and the tower of Babel.

– SKEPTIC-ish