What Controls You?

“Why are you so angry?” the LORD asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” [Genesis 4.6-7]

Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you.

This timeless statement, as it served to warn Cain, should warn us today. Sin will control us unless we proactively control it. To do nothing to prevent sin is to activate it.

The way to prevent sin is to do what is right. Again, then, if we are not proactively doing what is right, we are making ourselves open to sin which is, in and of itself, sinning. There is no neutral ground.

Obviously, from the context of this passage of scripture, man (as in, Adam and his sons), still had relationship directly with God. It was no extraordinary thing for them to actually converse with God. It requires little imagination to conclude then that such conversations with God would yield clear direction for how to do what is right.

Not entirely unlike open conversation with God Himself then is having God's written Word now to speak to us in concert with prayer as our response back to Him.

Everything that is necessary at this time for us to know and understand about God is written in the Bible. In fact, few will ever know and understand all that the Bible reveals about God. Any person who has ever diligently sought to know God from His Word understands that it is much akin to a mirror reflecting another mirror - the depth is infinite. This said, lack of knowledge about God is inexcusable based on the depth of knowledge of Himself God has provided in His Word!

But... man has a choice to make. We make this choice every day of our lives when we decide to learn of God from His Word or just skip it. We make this choice every day of our lives when we decide to learn of God in prayer or just skip it. And then, we scratch our heads in bewilderment when we sin as if we are just helpless victims to it... The book of Genesis does not teach this helplessness and Jesus did not demonstrate it either.

Father, thank You for Your Word and thank You for meeting me as I pray. I want to know You more and more and more. I want more of Your Word and more time in prayer!