Remember the story of Cain and Abel, the first humans created by the first humans?
God created Adam and Eve and then the two of them began the whole conception and birth process we know today.
Cain was the first son and then came Abel. Here’s where the story picks up in Genesis 4. “Abel was a herdsman and Cain a farmer. Time passed. Cain brought an offering to God from the produce of his farm. Abel also brought an offering, but from the firstborn animals of his herd, choice cuts of meat. God liked Abel and his offering, but Cain and his offering didn’t get his approval. Cain lost his temper and went into a sulk.”
We don’t know exactly what the deal was with God approving one offering over the other, but I have a guess. The Bible identifies that Abel’s sacrifice included “choice cuts of meat” and the speculation could be that Cain’s sacrifice was somewhat inferior, maybe vegetables or fruit that was of lesser quality? Not sure, but there was something about what Cain brought God that didn’t make the cut. Regardless, Cain’s offering expressed less effort, less priority, less personal than Abel’s.
Have you ever given God something less than your best? It’s interesting how God approaches Cain after God’s evaluation of the two gifts. Cain was upset and got angry. “God spoke to Cain: ‘Why this tantrum? Why the sulking? If you do well, won’t you be accepted? And if you don’t do well, sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; it’s out to get you, you’ve got to master it.’”
It seems to me that when we don’t do well, God doesn’t come down on us because of our behavior, but is more concerned about our emotions that remain unregulated. Anger, fear, resentment, bitterness if left alone will master us and lead us to making unwise decisions. God directed his attention to Cain’s apparent inability to master over his emotions. “You’ve got to master it.” Cain is now known as the person who initiated the first violent expression against another, killing his brother.
Anxiety, worry, fear, anger, and resentment are crying out to us for mastery. The human body was not meant to hold on to these emotions for long periods of time.
They have a shelf life, a time limit, an expiration date, so ultimately as these emotions get intense, they cry out in ways so we’ll recognize that life is not supposed to go this way. Peace is supposed to rule while bitterness and anger are to be regulated and mastered. A person’s soul cries out with rage, resentment, fear, doubt, and worry, driving the lack of peace to materialize it self in many different ways.
Passive communication (sulking, pouting, not making your needs known, and then when your needs go unmet, the cycle of resentment continues)
Avoidance, hiding, escaping, running away
Substance abuse
Emotional numbness
Over long periods of time a person will settle in the routine of anger, bitterness, and negative thinking, making it more difficult to change
What if we allowed these emotions to be a friend to us rather than our foe? Imagine taking all of these emotions and thoughts and using them to help us envision a brighter future, freeing us from our past?
Allow anger and resentment to:
Inform us of an imminent danger
React to danger, preparing us to adapt and survive
Brings us to an imbalance place emotionally, which is like waving a red flag
Anxiety is our soul crying out for mastery
Helps us recognize the need for peace
Leads us to faith. Action. Prayer. Worship. Finding a tool and using it. Talking to a friend. Exercise. Yoga. Meditation. Controlled breathing.
It can be amazing to see ourselves gain control over these emotions because our mastery has become more common. We will be more brave and courageous about future obstacles in our life. Observing courage in us today creates more bravery for tomorrow.