“And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Gen 4: 3-7
Today, we don’t give the kind of offering Cain and Abel gave in the Bible. We don’t sacrifice flock and fruit on an altar. However, we are to offer up our labor and indeed our whole being to the Lord as living sacrifices.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Col 3: 23-24).
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Rom 12:1)
Are you a student? Are you an engineer, homemaker, mechanic, physician? Whatever it is you do, do it unto the Lord.
But how do you know if what you offer to God is acceptable?
In Gen 3:7 God said to Cain: “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it.” (BSB)
“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” (NIV)
What does it mean – “to do right,” to do well” ?
It means we do whatever we do heartily, with integrity, giving our best to the Lord; seeking His honor, not ours. Our motives, as well as the manner in which we do our work and live our lives matters. It is the Lord Jesus Christ we are to serve.
So, when we ask ourselves if we are giving God enough, let’s also ask, “Am I honoring the Lord in my works? Am I working for God or man?
Prayer: Dear Father, I am humbled before you. Please help me to do all things heartily unto you and not to please people, “…whether I eat or drink, to do it unto you Lord” (1Cor 1:31). It is the Lord Jesus I want to serve, in your name, Amen.
For further study, read Genesis Chapter 4