Cain
Has this ever been you? You put your best foot forward, you do your best, you dress for success, you learn the song and dance…and the other guy…the other gal…gets the promotion, gets the recognition, gets the honor. Not you.
Well, it was a rough day for Cain, too. He and his brother Abel had presented their offerings to the Lord, but God regarded Abel and his offering (Genesis 4:4). Period. End of sentence. Not a word was said about Cain’s contribution. And Cain became angry. His countenance fell.
You can find all kinds of Bible teachers explaining the reasons for God’s snub—and that’s certainly a worthy topic to pursue.
However, instead of going there, I just want to take a look at the relationship between Cain and God…and meddle a bit about what so many of us deal with from time to time.
What was going on inside of Cain? He simply wanted an “atta boy” about his offering; he also wanted to be recognized for his accomplishments. I can relate. Can you?
Cain was angry that he didn’t get the recognition he felt he deserved. And it was written all over his face for everyone to see.
The Lord sought him out right after that and gave him one-on-one, tender counsel. He asked Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?” (Verses 6-7.) It’s obvious that God didn’t hate Cain; He cared deeply for him.
Wouldn’t that have been a perfect time for Cain to ask the Lord what He wanted from him? Instead, the Bible records nothing about any attempt Cain made to look into the matter.
No; Cain wanted what he wanted—recognition and honor—and he wanted it on his own terms, not God’s.
Of course, God knew that, so He left Cain with a clear and sober warning: “If you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it” (verse 7).
And you know, this is what God says to all of us when we feel burned by disappointments, slights, or being overlooked. Whenever someone else gets that position, recognition, or nod that you secretly craved, God’s there, nonetheless, loving you consistently. He’s there to dust you off and give you fresh direction—for the asking.
He’s not there, however, (and oh, how I sometimes wish He was!) to commiserate, badmouth your opponent, stroke your ego, or pet your wounds. No; He simply loves you and wants to show you how to hold your head high through all your let downs.
If you think this sounds harsh and uncaring of God, you need to know that He doesn’t “poor baby” you for a reason—the same reason He gave to Cain.
If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?
Bluntly stated, when you spend time rehearsing the wrongs done to you or magnifying your wounds, you are not doing well. Of course, if you’re in an abusive situation, God wants and expects you to get help; however, stroking the pain of slights or disappointment is not the same thing as getting help for abuse.
Notice—God did not tell Cain it would be easy to stop fixating on his disappointment; but He told him to move on, nevertheless.
If you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.
As good as it feels to your flesh and your sense of “righteous indignation”, rehearsing the wrongs you’ve experienced and exalting your wounds is not “doing well”. And the longer you stroke those things, the longer you postpone help from God. Why? Because you’re not obeying Him!
God warned Cain about the way sin worked. It crouched at the door of his life, poised like a lion waiting to pounce, watching for an opportunity to tear him apart.
And—way before the redemptive work of Christ—God placed the responsibility squarely upon Cain’s shoulders as to the outcome when He stated, “but you must master it.”
How much more now—in the day of freedom, grace, and redemption—is God saying to you and to me, “Master it”? The instant you resist the devil, he will flee. Stand your ground when slights, disappointments, misunderstandings, or misrepresentations slap you in the face, and determine that for your part, you will do well—you will trust God, you will continue to press on, you will hold your head high—and you will not fall prey to the never-fruitful pursuit of pettiness and self-justification.
Do well and free your countenance!
Dorothy
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith…1 Peter 5:8-9a
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