The Danger of the "Seed of Self"

Genesis 6:1-5 (Read it!) I had a conversation with Layah (she is 8yrs. going on 40) about life. The reason for the conversation was to help her understand the importance of being grateful for what God blessed her with and beware of wanting what her friends have. Later that night, I went into fervent prayer on behalf of my family, community, and the nation. As I sat quietly and patiently waiting for His response, this question came to me, “Sandra, are you satisfied with what I have blessed you with?" Now….at first…my thought was, “Satan get behind me!”  (Ya’ll know how we get when the response to our prayer sounds negative!) But truly, I believe it was the Holy Spirit challenging me. It forced me to ask myself "Am I practicing what I'm trying to teach my granddaughter. (Just say OUCH!).

In Genesis 1 and 2, God revealed His magnificent handiwork in the creation of the world and humanity. In God’s original plan, He created Adam and Eve to rule and reign over the earth. God blessed them and told them to, “Be fruitful and multiply.” He said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth …Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31).  It’s almost as if God was so well pleased after He created Adam and Eve, He laid back in His heavenly recliner and observed His creation and rested from His work.

Woman of God…imagine living in a garden made just for you and your man. Imagine the luxury of not having to travel to HEB or Walmart to get groceries. All Eve had to do was walk down a trail in the garden and pick her organic fruit and veggies from a bush. If I know the kind of God we serve, my imagination tells me that all Eve had to do was blow on the food and it was cooked! But just like Eve, we get caught up in the “Seed of Self” and we find ourselves wandering off the path of righteousness talking to a “snake” that isn’t supposed to be talking in the first place! (Read Genesis 3).

There is a danger in the Seed of Self. The Seed of Self is motivated by our eyes getting bigger than our stomach. The Seed of Self blinds our spiritual focus and highlights everything that our flesh desires. No matter how much God bless us, the Seed of Self will make us feel like God is holding something back from us.

I don’t have enough room on this blog to tell you about the ramifications of feeding and cultivating the Seed of Self. But if you read Genesis 6:1-5, God will show you exactly what happens when we cultivate the Seed of Self. It’s dangerous! ALL of us are guilty! Tell the truth and shame the devil.

How can we uproot the Seed of Self:

1.     Recognize that it is watered by our pride and ego (Proverbs 16:18).

2.     Avoid the temptation of “Self-Gratification.” Self-Gratification is the obsessive act of getting satisfaction or pleasure by doing something or getting something that you want (cf. Webster Dictionary). Examples of the results of self-gratification: drunkenness, greedy, stealing, lying, deceitful behavior, cheating, manipulation and masturbation(oops).

3.     Read, study, meditate, obey and trust God’s Word (Hebrews 4:12).

4.     Pray. Pray. Pray… (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

5.     Teach and show your children how to appreciate the grace of God.

For His glory…

Written by Sandra Kelley 2/20/2024