How is your heart?
Lately, we’ve been studying famous battles from the Bible, and today we’ll look at one of the earliest: the story of Cain and Abel from Genesis 4. This “battle” wasn’t fought with weapons but was born out of jealousy between two brothers. Both Cain and Abel brought sacrifices to God-Abel’s was accepted, but Cain’s was not. Scripture tells us that God did not respect Cain or his offering, and there are a couple of possible reasons for this. It’s likely that both brothers knew what God required. One possibility is that Cain offered something outside of what God had instructed. Another is that Cain’s attitude or heart was not right when he made his offering. It could even be a mix of both. Cain’s jealousy grew from this, leading him to murder his brother. As a result, Cain was forced to leave his people.
This story shows us how easily we can create our own internal battles when we knowingly choose the wrong path. Cain’s problem, at least in part, was a heart issue. He didn’t approach God with the right attitude, and that opened the door to jealousy and, eventually, more sin. We learn from this that it’s not just about following God’s commands-it’s also about doing so with the right heart. When our hearts aren’t in the right place, it can lead to dangerous emotions like jealousy, which can spiral into even greater sins. So, how is your heart when it comes to following God’s commands?
