Profiles in Leadership: Eve – A Leader Who Learned from Failure

Now Adam knew Eve his wife and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, “For God has appointed another seed for me…” Genesis 4:1 & 25 Real leaders influence others – positively or negatively. The story of Eve demonstrates the impact of negative influence. Eve influenced Adam to join her in sin. Although God commissioned Adam as her spiritual leader, Eve usurped the role. Adam willingly followed his wife rather than God, and together they led humankind into sin. Her choice to initially follow Satan rather than God brought devastating consequences that plague us even today. Eve exchanged a life without pain for a hostile and even brutal environment. Yet her subsequent life demonstrated an ability to recover from failure and move forward. She apparently restored her relationship with God, as evidenced that when her first-born child arrived, she acknowledged her dependence on God. And even after her first-born son murdered her second child, she did not develop a hardened heart toward God; she did not become bitter. She did not even use her pain as an excuse to reject God or question Him. When God gave her Seth (her third child), she expressed gratitude toward God for this new life. Ultimately, Eve came to represent a strong leader willing to accept the consequences of her choices and learn from her mistakes. Can you relate to Eve? Do you accept the consequences of your mistakes, regardless how painful, and learn from them? Please comment below or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com