Eat From the Tree of Life, Not Knowledge
I want to share a framework my friend Peter Han taught me: there are only two ways of operating—eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil or from the Tree of Life. The first centers on control through effort, optimization, and self-reliance. The second centers on trust in God's goodness, timing, and provision.
One way tends to produce anxiety, competition, and eventual burnout—even when it “works.” The other cultivates peace, generosity, and sustainable fruitfulness. Each day we choose which tree to eat from.
Note for clarity: The issue isn’t knowledge itself—Scripture affirms the value of wisdom and understanding. The problem is self-rule and disobedience (Genesis 2–3). The fall was choosing autonomy over obedience. Knowledge is good when submitted to God.
The Two Trees Framework
| Tree of Knowledge (self-reliance way) | Tree of Life (Kingdom way) |
|---|---|
| Trust in my efforts alone | Trust in God while working diligently |
| My value comes from what I produce | My value comes from who I am in Christ |
| Constant productivity is virtue | Knowing when to say "enough" is virtue |
| I determine my story's outcome | God determines my story's outcome |
| Money and achievements are my security | God is my security and provider |
| Always anxious, always grinding | Let tomorrow worry about itself |
| If I don't handle it, no one will | God will take care of what matters |
Why the Knowledge System Feels Safer
The self-reliance way works—that's why it's seductive. Wall Street, Hollywood, and Silicon Valley largely run on Tree of Knowledge principles. You work, you get paid. You grind, you see results. It's predictable and immediately 'rewarding'.
My friend Peter learned this firsthand, working himself into the hospital on Wall Street. As he puts it: "I have rarely met a very successful or powerful person who achieved their wealth or power via the self-reliance way who also wasn't extremely dysfunctional in their health, their relationships, or their vices—or all three." The system delivers what it promises but destroys what matters most.
Even churches and ministries get trapped in self-reliance thinking—constantly seeking more people, bigger buildings, famous speakers, and measurable growth. "How much is enough?" becomes impossible to answer when your security comes from accumulation rather than God's provision.
The Challenge of Living the Kingdom Way
The Kingdom way requires something the self-reliance way doesn't: trust in God's goodness. This is terrifying when you're conditioned to believe your security depends on your performance.
Biblical examples of following the Kingdom way:
- Gathering only enough manna for today (Exodus 16)
- Not harvesting to the field edges, leaving remainder for the poor (Leviticus 19:9–10)
- Letting fields rest every seventh year (Leviticus 25:1–7)
- John the Baptist saying "He must increase, I must decrease" at his ministry peak (John 3:30)
- Jesus ministering for only about three years in a small area, yet changing the world (cf. the Gospels)
Each example reminds us to trust God's provision.
My Experience With Both Systems
There are two ways to make a living: atheistic toiling versus Spirit-led flow where God guides your boat and you row.
I've mostly done things through atheistic toiling, and am now seeking to completely unlearn that way.
I've seen when I eat from the Tree of Knowledge that I can achieve ego-growing, worldly 'success' but with constant insecurity, as relationships and opportunities become dependent on status. And every achievement felt temporary because those were not God-honoring achievements, and my worth depended on the next accomplishment. Rest became impossible because stopping meant falling behind.
As my friend Peter teaches, you can make success happen through the Tree of Knowledge; but if you build it in the flesh, you have to sustain it in the flesh. On the other hand, the Kingdom way can feel counterintuitive but produces supernatural results. I now try to operate in faith that when I focus on relationship with God over relationship with outcomes, and trust over control, doors will open that no amount of grinding could create.
Recognition and Practice
Ask yourself throughout the day:
- Am I operating from security or insecurity right now?
- Is this action driven by trust in God or fear of lack?
- Would I be okay if God controlled this outcome instead of me?
- Am I trying to force timing or trusting divine timing?
Daily Practice: Before major decisions, pause and ask: "Which tree am I eating from?" Choose the path that requires trusting God's goodness rather than your ability to control outcomes.
The self-reliance way promises control but delivers bondage. The Kingdom way requires surrender but produces freedom.
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." — Proverbs 3:5-6