So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry?

If you do well, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it" (Genesis 4:5, 6). Cain would soon murder his brother (verse 8), and God's question was designed to stop him in his tracks. Here we have the first mention of sin. “Do well” is a more literal translation than those that have “do right.” It's an important distinction, because “do right” immediately gets us into the question of what is right and wrong.  The concept of sin is developed throughout  Scripture, but here neither Cain nor Abel would have understand the more developed notion. Here it is crouched in terms a child, and a world without the later revelation of sin and its consequences,  could understand. In particular doing well is doing what pleased God with whom Cain and Abel were in relationship. Just like a young child with loving parents.


With this early understanding of sin,  those trapped in addictions illustrate well that is it “crouching at your door and it desires to have you.”  Mankind's desire and taste for freedom is warped, desiring to be free from rules, especially God's rules. But as I keep saying His rules are there for our provision and protection. You are free to take drugs, but you are not free from the consequences of taking them.  You could say the drug is crouching at you door like a tiger,  and it desires to have you. In other words first you have the drug, then the drug has you!  It's the same with all sin, if you break God's laws, they will eventually break you.  You're free to break them, but do not be deceived, we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7).  Bad choices (not doing well) have bad consequences.

This brings us to the phrase “you must rule over it." We might think  freedom is doing anything we want, but true freedom is the ability to say no to things that are bad for us. Jesus puts it this way “he who sins is the slave of sin,” but “if the Son shall set you free, you will be truly free.”  Being set free requires our cooperation, and our part is knowing His Word, studding and obeying it,  living it out (John 8:31-34). It's an ongoing process. Self control is part of the fruit of the Spirit, the benefit of being vitally connected with Him (Galatians 5:22, 23).

The first step in twelve-step-programs, is to admit that we are powerless not only over our addictions,  but also over our compulsive behaviours. So it's not just for addictions! But we're not likely to enter such programs until reaping the consequences of our choices bring us to our deepest bottom, to the end of ourselves. Know this, like with Cain, if we can acknowledge our need to be rescued,  it is not too late. Jesus came to rescue us, to seek and to save those of us who are willing to admit we are lost (Luke 19:10).

Lord Jesus, You came to give life in all it's fullness.  Your ways are best Lord, for You are the way the truth and the life. Thank You that when I was still without strength,  You died for me to in order to reconcile me with the Father  (John 10:10b; 14:6; Romans 5:6). I praise and thank You Lord,  in Your precious Name Amen