Genesis 4
What to Do With What's Rising
"Sin is crouching at the door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it." (Genesis 4:7)
God saw Cain’s anger rising, He saw the danger in it and spoke directly, warning him and reminding him that he could still make his own choice.
Cain didn’t listen. And the first murder in human history followed.
What’s interesting is that there was a warning. God didn’t let Cain walk into what happened without being told. He had a choice.
We’ve all had moments where we knew something was rising in us that needed to be addressed. Anger, resentment, envy, the slow accumulation of bitterness toward someone. And we usually have a choice about whether to deal with it early or let it crouch at the door until it comes inside.
Dealing with it early is always harder than it sounds. Because the emotion feels justified. It feels like truth. Cain’s offering really was rejected. His anger had a real object. But what you do with the feeling is still a choice. And what crouches at the door doesn’t stay there forever.
