Do you devote your best, the rest, or nothing in your relationships?
Do you remember the "spark" of dating? Maybe your last spark was in junior high. I'll bet you still remember it!
Remember the notes passed in class? Remember the phone calls? Remember the NEED to see each other?
When my wife and I were dating, we'd go WAY out of our way to see each other or to spend quality time together. She and I both dislike the telephone, but phone each other we did. We also texted and video conferenced. We MADE TIME for each other.
We are both convinced that we devote our BEST in our relationship.
Would you make time to phone God?
--Is he on your speed-dial?
--Lost in your contacts list?
--His number on a crumpled piece of paper lying on the floor behind your bed-side table?
We all know (or should) that what you put into a relationship betrays how you value the other.
Take what you say out of the equation. Think just about WHAT you do and HOW you do it.
What do your actions say?
--Best?
--Rest?
--Nothing?
(Guys, if you don't think your actions overwhelm your words, call a woman in your life and ask her. She'll tell you that your actions are FAR more important than your words. If that's too biased for you...ask a child. They'll tell you the SAME THING.)
Cain and Abel are not that much different from us...EXCEPT that we think they were so much closer to God that life had to be easier. After all, they lived thousands of YEARS AGO!!!
It's true. They lived thousands of years closer to Creation than we do. In spite of that fact, THEY STRUGGLED WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. Cain thinks God is okay, but he's not going out of his way to send an early morning text or e-mail. His approach is, "I'll deal with God when I get around to it..."
What's the real difference between Cain and Abel?
Abel thought of God FIRST.
Cain thought of God, eventually.
Abel offered God his FINEST.
Cain offered God his average...or less.
Abel offered God his FAITH.
Cain offered God what he thought he wouldn't need.
Abel's priority was to offer first of his finest based on his faith.
Cain eventually offered whatever he had that he thought he could spare.
Abel invested his best in his relationship with God.
Cain invested the rest.
God's response?
"Cain, you've lost that loving feeling..."
Let's think of this in more familiar terms....
If you're dating and the first thing you want to do is see -- hear -- or be with your other, that's how Abel acted toward God. If she's into you, you'll get a great response out of that kind of attention. On the other hand, if you're dating the your message is, "Hey, I'll see you when I see you, babe, and I'll talk to everyone else BUT you...and I'm not gonna listen to you, but you can hang out with me," you deserve at least a cold shoulder! That's how Cain acted toward God.
Forget the arguments about blood sacrifice vs. veggies. It's about who was trying to build a relationship and who was trying to have a no-commitment we'll-see-what-happens relationship with God.
Cain and Abel are a lot like us. That's one reason that the Bible can be a timeless book. Maybe you don't farm and I don't ranch, but the struggles are the same. In this case it's a question of valuing our relationships.
Do you devote your best, the rest, or nothing in your relationship with...
--family?
--friends?
--God?
Cain says, "God, I know you gave all this cool stuff. Thanks, man! Here...have a few rotten potatoes as a token of my gratitude."
Abel says, "God I want to thank you FIRST with the FINEST of what you've given me, because I have FAITH in our relationship"
What about you? How will you relate to God? Will you devote your best, the rest, or nothing?
Blessings
/jmt
Created about 2 years ago
