Brother Cain

What kind of brother are you?

Do you envy your brother? Are you jealous of him? Do you think, “Why does he get all the breaks? Why did he get the better job? Since he is not a better Christian than I am, then why does God bless him so much?”

Maybe you think or have thought, “I’ll bet his blessings are really curses, anyway.” That thought runs the course of you hoping that he is being fattened up for the slaughter. 

Maybe you think, “Life just is not fair or I would be doing much better. I guess my lot is just the luck of the draw or what we spiritual people call Providence. It is clear that it is not fair because if it was fair, I would get the blessing and my brother’s situation would better represent his heart.” You may think this while not at all thinking that your comparatively poor situation does represent your heart. But even then, it is likely that God is still being extremely gracious and merciful to you.

Ever had any of these thoughts? Maybe? Just a little bit? Are any of these thoughts current in your thinking? If so, then they have to go. These are the thoughts of Cain. These are thoughts of Joseph’s brothers. These are the thoughts of Esau. These are the thoughts of Judas. These are the thoughts of the mother of James and John. Without sounding too far over the top, these are the thoughts of the devil. It is just these sorts of thoughts that lead one to all sorts of desperate actions, even to betrayal, denial and murder. So, do not downplay these thoughts, make excuses for them or allow them to circulate in your head any longer. Nail them to the cross and let them die the penalty of death.