Jan 13, 2026
6 min read
Every day, whether we realize it or not, we are making a choice. It’s not a choice between good and bad behaviors, or between being “religious” or not. It’s a deeper, more formative choice—a choice of source.
We choose which tree we live from: the tree of “I have to,” or the tree of “I get to.”
In Genesis 2, we’re given a picture that is both simple and profound. God plants a garden in Eden and places humanity there. In the center of that garden are two trees: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Scripture is intentional here. God planted both trees. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t a backup plan. It was placed there on purpose.
Notice what the second tree is called. It’s not the tree of good and bad. It’s not the tree of life versus the tree of death. It’s the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eating from it didn’t simply introduce sin. Eating from this tree introduced self-consciousness. It created a way of viewing life through constant evaluation: right or wrong, approved or rejected, pass or fail.
Why? Because love requires choice.
Obedience without choice is not a relationship—it’s control. The garden was not merely a test of behavior; it was a test of trust. Would humanity trust God enough to receive life from Him, or would they reach for autonomy and self-definition?
For many Christians today, this tree still shapes how faith feels. It sounds like this:
“I have to pray, or God will be disappointed.”
“I have to serve, or I’m not a good Christian.”
“I have to give, or I’m failing spiritually.”
When the knowledge of good and evil becomes the lens through which we relate to God, spiritual disciplines stop being responses to grace and become spiritual chores. Bible reading becomes a duty, not a delight. Worship becomes compliance, not communion. Service becomes pressure, not privilege. That’s the voice of “I have to.”
Genesis 2:15–17 tells us that God placed Adam in the garden to tend it and watch over it. Work was not the curse. Work existed before the fall.
Then Scripture says, “The Lord God warned him…” That warning wasn’t a threat or a challenge; it was an act of love. God warned Adam because He cared for him. In the same way, God has given us Scripture (66 books of instruction, encouragement, and warning) because He loves us.
This mindset always turns the focus inward. Am I doing enough? Am I doing it right? How do I compare? And that inward focus never produces joy. It produces guilt, fear, pride, or burnout—but never life.
God says, “You may freely eat of every tree in the garden.” Freely. There was abundance, not restriction. The invitation was clear: you have a choice. But the consequence of eating from the wrong tree was death. Not immediate physical death, but relational death. The death of the intimacy Adam and Eve had known, walking and talking with God in the garden.
Sometimes people ask, “If God is good, why would He put a tree there that could lead to death?” But God wasn’t setting a trap. He was offering a revelation. He was saying, “There is a way that leads to life, and there is a way that leads away from Me.”
The Tree of Life says:
“I get to walk with God.”
“I get to know Him.”
“I get to obey Him because I trust Him.”
This is the tree of “I get to.” When a believer lives from this tree, obedience flows from gratitude, not fear.
“I get to pray because I’m welcomed.”
“I get to serve because I’m already accepted.”
“I get to give because God has already given everything to me.”
The Tree of Life represents dependence. It is about trusting God rather than controlling outcomes. It is not about a life of achievement, but a life received. Relationship over performance. Trust over self-reliance.
The difference isn’t the action. The difference is the source.
“I have to,” says, “I obey to earn.”
“I get to,” says, “I obey because I’ve already received.”
The garden was a place of enjoyment—God’s presence, God’s provision, God’s peace. Yet even there, an ongoing question remained: Would they choose God Himself? Would they be satisfied with Him alone, even without all the answers?
The tree of knowledge creates in us the “have to” mentality. The Tree of Life makes the “get to” mentality. One tree teaches us to see life as something we must earn. The other teaches us to receive life as a gift and then gladly give our lives back to the Giver.
One produces religion. The other produces a relationship.
This same choice echoes throughout Scripture. In Deuteronomy 30, God tells His people, “I have set before you life and death… Now choose life.” Obedience to God’s commands brings life and blessing, not because the rules themselves are magical, but because they keep us aligned with the God who is our life.
Every day, we choose which tree we live from. And when we choose life, we don’t say, “I got to.” We say, with joy and gratitude, “I’m so glad I get to.”