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"And in the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground. And Abel brought OF THE FIRSTBORN of his flock and OF THE FAT PORTIONS. And the Lord had respect and regard for Abel and for his offering, BUT FOR *CAIN AND HIS OFFERING HE HAD NO RESPECT OR REGARD. So Cain was exceedingly angry and indignant, and he looked sad and depressed. And the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? And why do you look sad and depressed and dejected? IF YOU DO WELL, WILL YOU NOT BE ACCEPTED? And if you do not do well, sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you, but you must master it." -The Greatest Love Story Ever Told
We must master the laziness, sin and bad habits that exist in our lives.
God doesn't accept or acknowledge every gift or offering we bring.
When Cain was challenged to increase his work ethic and give a better sacrifice, he thought that he had to be better than his brother.
But all God wanted was for him to be better than his past (his most recent efforts.)
Sometimes, when we challenge people to be better, they become bitter. Let's face it; anyone that gives 100% is an immediate threat to those that don't. People will envy (or hate) you for your zeal, passion and dreams when they are not pursuing or reaping from theirs.
Abel was prompted, by faith, to give his FIRST (born) and BEST gift to God.
And God acknowledged it; because whatever is first in your life dictates the rest of it (the harvest.) If you come to work and surf the internet for the first hour or two of the day, your entire day will be sluggish and unproductive. On the contrary, if you tackle the biggest thing that cannot be delegated on your to do list first, it sets the tone for your entire day and builds momentum for you to maximize productivity.
Hebrews records: "[Prompted, actuated] by faith Abel brought God A BETTER AND MORE ACCEPTABLE SACRIFICE THAN CAIN, because of which it was testified of him that he was righteous [that he was upright and in right standing with God], and God bore witness BY ACCEPTING AND ACKNOWLEDGING HIS GIFTS. And though he died, yet [THROUGH THE INCIDENT] he is still speaking" (Heb. 11:4)
People will never acknowledge your gifts without sacrifice.
RIGHT NOW, unfulfilled, dead dreams are crying out from the grave of pity and passivity you dug.
Abel's faith and sacrifice still speaks and challenges the halfhearted today.
- As you consider your own life, what are you prompted by (What inspires, motivates and drives you to exceed expectations and past results in life?)
- What does your faith prompt you to offer God (daily) in your work, family and leadership?
Anything you don't try or do at 100% is difficult. Bobby Layne, during his 15 pro football seasons, was a free-spirited All-NFL caliber quarterback who did well statistically but was exceptional in the intangibles - leadership, determination, competitiveness, and guts.
Bobby Layne was a never-say-die competitor. His longtime friend and fellow Hall of Famer Doak Walker once said admiringly of his teammate: "Bobby never lost a game. Some days, time just ran out on him." (Hall of Fame Website)
Failure is not determined by the final score or individual, but in a single decision: YOURS.
You see, failure is not final until you say it is.
And if you refuse to give 100%, you are disobedient to God and the dream He put inside you. The Apostle Paul and King Solomon once wrote:
· "Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men;" -The Apostle Paul
· "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might;"
· "He becomes poor who works with a slack and idle hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich." - King Solomon
Abel's faith produced a lifestyle of excellence and expectancy. He had faith that God would reward his offering, so he made sure it was worth multiplying.
Today, what is your faith and work producing?
Faith demands you bring God a better and more acceptable sacrifice than you have in the past.
In retrospect, God could've left Cain to self-destruct. Yet He loved him enough to tell him, "Son, I am no respecter of persons, but I am a respecter of faith. Without faith it is impossible to please Me. So don't be angry, sad and depressed. You possess the same potential, the same inheritance, access, blessing, favor, promise, plan and dream potential as Abel; if you do well, I will accept and reward your dreams (and gift) beyond your imagination. Just redo it. Try it again. But this time, pour all of your heart, mind and soul into it without fail. THEN, I will bless you."
Unfortunately, the sin and half-heartedness that Cain refused to confront brought a curse on his life in the same place he transgressed. God warned Cain and us with an ageless message: "Whatever sin or bad habits you allow to crouch at the door (hang around your life) will destroy you unless you master it.
Sin lies at the door.
It is not intrusive--We let it in.
SHUT THE DOOR.
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