Mark 6:31 – Jesus said to them, “Come with me to a secluded place, away from everyone, and rest for a while.”

This is not about turning you into a lone rider, isolating yourself from community life—something that would both deprive you of the contributions of others and prevent you from being useful in your environment. Rather, it is about distancing yourself from a secular mindset that bases success on performance, as if what Christ accomplished was insignificant.

It is about protecting your thoughts from any paradigm that robs you of peace and rest. You must build strongholds in your mind and bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. The mindset that attributes glory to merit is precisely what drove man out of Eden.

The first couple believed they had to do something to reach a higher level that God had not yet granted them. Yet, everything they needed was already within them—they had dominion over all things. Giving in to this paradigm, cunningly designed by Satan, only led to the opposite of what they envisioned: their downfall.

In Eden, God ensured that everything necessary for your fulfillment was in place before placing you there. You do not need to create anything new; all He expects is for you to believe that everything is already provided and to adopt an attitude aligned with this fundamental truth. The world is filled with noise—a vast marketplace where every being presents their products.

Human activities are a source of turmoil; rest comes when they cease. Joseph Prince, a preacher of grace, states in one of his teachings: “When you work, God rests. And when you rest, God works.” This is the productivity of rest.

I do not mean to suggest that you should abandon your secular work, but rather to show you that true rest cannot be achieved by relying solely on yourself. The Garden of Eden was planted in isolation—Eden is not the whole world, but a separate place. If the thought that Adam and Eve lacked something (the fruit) and needed it to become like gods expelled them from Eden, then recognizing yourself as a god, created in the image of the Creator, lacking nothing, is what leads you back in.

Let’s contrast two systems of thought to better understand their implications:

“Then the serpent said to the woman: ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that on the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods…’” (Genesis 3:4-5)

“I said, ‘You are gods, you are all sons of the Most High.’” (Psalm 82:6)

A simple comparative study reveals that these two perspectives differ in only one aspect: the timing of their fulfillment.

The first is conditional—“on the day you eat of it… then you will be”—while the second is in the present tense—“You are gods.” Satan suggests that conditions must be met to become like God, whereas God Himself declares: “I have made you like me; you are already gods.”

The enemy’s mindset creates a sense of lack that you must strive to fill, whereas God’s mindset sees you as already complete, living to be loved and to manifest His life. It is Christ’s deep desire to establish man in green pastures.

Do not believe the whispered lies in your mind. Beyond anything you can believe about God, know that His greatest desire is to see you established in abundance, rooted in the delights He has lovingly prepared for you.

This text is an excerpt from the book “EDEN IS IN YOU” written by Osée Ilunga.

We invite you to read the following article: “DO NOT RESORT TO SELF-JUSTIFICATION”.