“3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.” ~ Genesis 4:3-5
Who are we when we bring an offering before the LORD? Are we Cain? Or are we Abel? I guess the easiest way to answer that question is by taking a step back and evaluating our offerings. When we do something for God, that’s an offering. When we do something for others, that’s an offering before God. When we put money in the offering plate that is an offering before God. But how do we do these things? Do we do them with love? Do we do them begrudgingly? Do we do them out of selflessness? Do we bring our very best?
But why? Why does it matter how I bring my offering, at least I brought one. At least I did this for that person. At least I did it. So what is wrong with that? What’s wrong with bringing your second best? What’s wrong with just showing up? Think about it like this, life is a test. Each opportunity is how you study for the test, and each offering is how you take the test. If you don’t study for a test, then chances are you’re gonna fail that test. If you put down an answer that is wrong, then your answer is wrong whether you wrote it down or not. The answer is still marked wrong. Why? Because there is a right answer, just like there is a right way to bring an offering.
Don’t just bring an offering before the LORD, bring your best. Why? Imagine if you constantly help someone no matter what it is, no matter how extreme it is, no matter how impossible it is. But when you ask for something from that person, they begrudgingly do it. They complain the whole time. They act as though it is the biggest inconvenience to them. I don’t know about you, but I would just tell them not to worry about it. Why? Because that is unacceptable. It’s selfish.
God gives us everything we need. He died for us. He got off His throne and became man, yet we can’t bring an offering before Him. We are living in a selfish world, but don’t allow the world we live in to dictate our actions. To dictate who we are, for we are made new. We are no longer a part of this world, but a part of the Kingdom of God. So, therefore, be an Abel, not a Cain. Be a man or woman that brings their best and sets it down before God’s throne.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Bring Your Best.
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