Relationships are the thing that suffered most in the Fall. It took one generation to move from betrayal and finger-pointing to fratricide. Why do we expect relationships to be right when we aren't? The blame game is never ending, we make decisions and when things don't turn out the way we intended, we blame others.
Cain decided to bring some stuff to offer to God for thanks. He got this attitude from his mom who said when he was born, "With the help of God I have gotten a man." With the help of God? Did you make yourself such that you could produce offspring? Abel's attitude towards what he produced and therefore what he offered to God was different, he "brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions." Cain's offering wasn't acceptable, God wants our best not the rest, and his reaction was to murder his brother.
Jesus says that when we speak ill of our brothers and sisters we commit murder (Matt 5.22). We need to get rid of the malice and envy in our lives in order that sin doesn't become our master. The seed of bitterness is difficult to deal with if it isn't removed early in the game. I have made some bad decisions and paid a price for them and it was a tough thing to get rid of that bitter root of blame. I don't want to go there again.
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