June 10 - Death by shame
Scripture focus: Cain had words with his brother. They were out in the field; Cain came at Abel his brother and killed him. God said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "How should I know? Am I his babysitter?" Genesis 6-9 (The Message)
We have a grave responsibility and an awesome opportunity.
Future generations can benefit from our lessons learned.
Adam and Eve sinned, which inflamed shame, and then they hid. God had to give them consequences for their actions when they refused to accept responsibility. Consequences are one of God's primary ways of getting us to pay attention to our sin.
It would have been really neat if Adam and Eve could have taught Cain and Abel that sin can't be managed but it can be disclosed.
Cain could have disclosed his lack of trust in God and himself, "God, I'm feeling pretty insecure, wondering if you love me, wondering if I'm even worth loving." This kind of honest disclosure actually reduces the compulsion to sin. Cain didn't disclose. He distrusted God's love. Maybe he doubted his own ability to be "good enough" for God. And Cain was right to wonder. We can never be good enough. But God isn't trying to get us to a state of "good enough" – he gives us the gift of true, God-created identity and asks us to embrace it – a far better state than "good enough."
To be continued....
Recommended reading: Psalm 50-52
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1 comment:
I may not have ever committed murder,I have killed.I have killed relationships for all different kinds of reasons.I must admit the folks killed from my life many more times than not were without fault.I killed because being around "normal" people made my life very uncomfortable.I killed because they held me accountable for my behavior.I killed because it was easier to kill than care.I killed because I did not want to be cared for.I have learned not to kill today.I will say sometimes I put someone in the hospital, with care the damage can be repaired. Today when asked "where is your brother?"I should know. Someone once told me when out of the blue someones name pops(or is placed)in your head it is time to reach out and find out where your brother is.I far to many time have not listened to the names, only to find out later my brothers were struggling. I am not a babysitter, I am community. I believe as part of community I watch out for my brother, not over him as that job is handled on a higher level. I love this place the freedom to share without being judged. I pray for a day when this blog becomes an interactive place for folks recovering from life.I am always looking for my next teacher. I pray you and your families have a blessed day.
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