Genesis 4:6-7

Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

So Cain is jealous of his brother. He sees that his brother Abel is bringing in the best that he can and offering it to God. The fat portions from his livestock. Cain on the other hand is giving God only what he has to. Not his best, just fullfilling the requirement that God has set forth.

Cain, saw that God was pleased with Abel and it spurred jealousy. God recognized it right away, asking him, "Why are you angry?" Why is your face downcast? How many times has this happened to you. You see someone else with something more. You see them favored in somone elses eyes and you think, why wasn't that me. I have given also. And then you solk around mad.

Now God gives Cain an opportunity for correction here. "If you do what is right will you not be accepted?" If you do what is right. He doesn't say if you had done what is right, would you not have been accepted but if you do what is right. He knows that Cain is not happy, probably alot because Cain knows that he only has given to God the leftovers. What God sees on his face is more than likely guilt due to knowing that he is not doing the right thing.

Is this not the case in most of our lives. I know there have been times when I only gave Catherine parts of myself. When I would forget something and not try very hard to "do what is right" and when I was called on it I would get angry. I diverted the issue away from myself and my guilt off to another. I would have the same look on my face as Cain.

How about those of you that only give God part of yourself. Maybe you go to Sunday service out of a sense of obligation to "show your children some religion" or "that it is the Holiday and I have to show up sometimes". Has God ever asked you what was wrong? More then that has He ever given you the opportunity to do better next time like He has Cain?

The problem becomes when we don't heed Gods call. When we contuinue to divert the issue to someone or something else. When we make an excuse for our own action in anothers action. We then allow evil to build up. As God says to Cain "but if you do not do what is right, Sin is crouching at your door". Oh, it is right there, always waiting to grab hold of you as soon as you fail to take responsibility for yourself. Sin is waiting for you to think that you inadequate response was better then somones appropriate response to God.

The sin is right there. For Cain he could stand that Abel did what he was suppose to and got praise for it. He didn't want to be second fiddle. He wanted recogognized for something he did out of obligation and not out of love. So Cain murdered Abel. His feelings, his ignoring God, His allowing evil to fester resulted in Sin. It is the husband blaming the wife for his adultry. It is the Subordinate blaming the boss for the lack of performance. It is the casual believer blaming the music for their devotion or disintrest on the Pastor.

"But you must master it" we must listen to the Spirit. We must hear the voice. We must know the right thing to do and if we mess up take responsibility to make it right then next time. We must give to our spouses the best that we have. We must give to our jobs the best that we can. We must give to God the best that we can. When we can't we must control the sin ourselves. Because if we don't it desires us.

We must do what is right in our own eyes. We must also do what is right in Gods eyes. We must also not use the standards that man sets as the standard or right and wrong. God had the conversation with Cain, God was the standard bearer. He was the one that Cain let down first in a small way and then with the sin of murder.

I guess the bottom line to all this is that you know what is right and wrong. You know when you have crossed the line, when you haven't given something your best. You know. To divert your lack of effort to anything else, to anyone else is wrong. Do the right thing, if not this time, next time. Don't let the feelings build into Sin. Don't let yourself justify your inadequacies so that sin builds. Control it. Control yourself and do the right thing.

Father, how easy it was as husband that walked apart from you to blame everyone else for my faults. How easy it is as a man to let pride cloud our faults. How easy as a person to blame others. How easy as someone in this world to make excuses not to give my all to you. Lord God, please continue to give us the opportunity, like Cain, to correct before we sin. Please also give us the strength, the faith in you, to be master over sin. Amen.