The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
Genesis 4:6-7
The first recorded anger led to the first recorded murder. But God intervened to counsel Cain. It always amazes me that Cain just kept giving in to the domination of anger. He was upset that Abel’s sacrifice pleased God, and God literally spoke to Cain about how to worship God better. Yet anger was stronger in Cain’s heart than this direct conversation with God.
His motivation in sacrifice and worship was clearly to please himself and not God. And the wild beast of sin in Cain’s anger did more than crouch at the door... it took over his thoughts and actions, ending in the murder of his brother Abel in a jealous rage. Sin ruled him as Cain disobeyed the warning of the Word of God.
Emotions can dominate us if we brood on them. And if we refuse to pay full attention to the Word of God we can be overwhelmed in sinful emotion and do the things we’d never thought we would. The Bible does not teach us that emotions are neutral. They show where are hearts are. And only God, through His Word and Holy Spirit can change our hearts.
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