The Bible is filled with tragic stories of dysfunctional and feuding families. Isaac and Rebekah demonstrated favoritism with their twin boys; Jacob’s sons sold their younger brother to traders for 20 pieces of silver; King David’s son raped his sister–and that’s just to list a few from the Old Testament!
One thing I've learned is that family...will be family. Bad things will happen—some intentionally and some not. Sometimes, a family member’s harsh actions and vengeance towards you has nothing to do with you at all. That was exactly the case in the story of Cain and Abel.
Genesis 4:1-8 records an account of how Abel’s offering was accepted by God, but Cain’s offering was not. Cain became so angry that he killed his brother.
This story makes me wonder what kinds of thoughts were going through Cain’s head that would cause him to become so upset he'd kill his own brother. After all, the Bible doesn’t indicate that Abel had done anything specific to harm Cain.
The answer lies within the very heart of Cain. Questioning him about his anger, God sheds light on the matter. “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
Truth is, sin lies at the door of every argument and offense against our brother or sister. Though we can't control the actions of others, we can examine our own hearts and ensure that our offerings to the Lord (our actions, our attitudes, and our articulations) are acceptable.
Cain had an opportunity to repent, ask God for forgiveness and try again. Instead, he chose to eliminate who he perceived to be his competition—bad move.
Whenever you notice the slightest twinge of jealously, anger or indignation against your sister search your own heart. Ask God to reveal any and every impure motive inside of you. Ask for forgiveness. Seek God's strength to turn away. We have the power to rule over sin. It begins with a step towards God, not away from Him. God is waiting to help you stop the cycle.
Challenge:
- Be honest with yourself about your
- When confronted with you own shortcomings, 'fess up!
- Don't allow your sin to be projected onto others
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