Today’s Reading: Genesis 3; Genesis 4; Genesis 5; Luke 2
Scripture: Genesis 4:5 ...on Cain and his offering [God] did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
Observation: Cain's offering (and Cain himself) is not well received by God. You could say it (and he) was rejected. And Cain has a negative and severe emotional reaction.
What struck me about this is that of all the emotional responses that Cain could have had, he allowed himself to indulge in anger, self-pity and resentment. Cain has anger towards God, pity for himself, and resentment toward his brother. The eventual outcome of all this was the world's first premeditated murder and coverup. And Cain's callousness and self-centeredness is further evidenced by his subsequent lack of remorse and worry about himself and his own future. (He doesn't seem to worry about the fact that he deprived his brother of a future.)
Application: Pride is the root of Cain's problems. Pride is the elevation of self-thought and focus about how everything affects me. Other possible (and I would suggest, healthier) responses to rejection by God might be sadness, grief, and seeking to know the "why" -- that is, what was wrong (if I didn't already know it), and what I could do to fix it.
(By the way, I think that Cain knew full well what was wrong, given the conversation between Cain and God in verse 6. With the phrase, "If you do what is right," God seems to be reminding him of a simple remedy that Cain already knows.)
Bottom line: Humility is such an important key to healthy relationships with other people, and more importantly, with God. Paul gives us good advice in Romans 12:3. He says "...to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly..."
Prayer: Lord, help me to have a healthy self-image. Not to think more highly of myself than I ought. And not to think less highly of myself than I ought. Help me to place the interests of others above my own, and to keep You in the highest place in my life. You are my Lord, and my God. May I always submit joyfully to Your will.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
2 comments:
Funny, I read my devotions & wrote my journal before reading yours and chose the same scripture with pretty much the same response.
It is the same murderous spirit we see today-you have it and I want it. Though you have earned your reward through hardwork & diligence and I have earned none because of laziness & self-indulgence, I feel justified taking what you have.
Lord, help me catch my thoughts and listen to your correction. Without you I am lost.
This scripture shows the end result of self-centeredness. It should horrify us. Instead, we so often just excuse it. How we need to be vigilant in guarding our hearts and minds from this tendency toward self-centered pride! Great observations.
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