When Eve was being tempted by the serpent in the garden she made God sound severe.
She said God commanded that she and Adam were not only forbidden to eat from the tree in the middle of the garden.... but that they shouldn't even 'touch it.'
Well God never said that. But it had the effect of making Eve think God was overly strict and holding something back.
And this thinking paved the way for her to go off on her own and get into trouble.
Eve is not alone in this.
We're tempted to view God as harsh and forbidding ourselves... and as with Eve, it justifies our decisions to act independently of Him.
But God is not harsh.
All His directions are for our protection and benefit... so we would be blessed.
And just as He provided an abundance of trees to eat from in the garden, so does He give us plenty of liberty to enjoy the goodness of His creation.
God is not hard to live with.