 |
Principles for Success
We are not certain how long it was between the time Adam and Eve were created and when they committed their first sin. One thing, we are certain of, however, is the effect their choice had on their children. In Genesis 4 we read an interesting story. Two sons, Cain and Abel, born of the same two parents, had two very different outcomes. Cain cherished rebellion, malice, and pride. His younger brother, Abel, had a heart tender toward God.
The story of the first siblings mentioned in Scripture casts a shadow upon the landscape of our world today. Human relationships still suffer beneath the burden of rebellion, malice, and pride. Parental choices are still influential in our children’s outcomes. While parents cannot dictate how their children’s lives will ultimately turn out, there are plenty of opportunities to make a positive impact. There are plenty of opportunities for parents to give children the best chance at success.
Let us direct our focus on a few details about Cain and Abel’s relationship. It appears that the root difficulty they experienced was directly related to Cain’s relationship with God. Cain’s anger toward his brother was born of his disregard for God. Genesis 4:1-7, studied in context of God’s way of dealing with the sin problem in the Old Testament era, reveals that Cain was unwilling to accept God’s prophetic means of salvation. His offering was based on human effort and not faith. In contrast, Abel gave an acceptable sacrifice through faith in the coming Messiah. God accepted Abel’s faith, and Cain was angry. Since God loved Cain despite his attitude, the Bible says He went and spoke to him about the situation. Apparently dissatisfied with God, Cain eventually killed his brother. Much could be said of the details, but we will not dwell on them here. The bottom line is that Cain took his unfettered anger to its inevitable end—murder.
“And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). I remember listening to a woman on the radio and hearing her say something most profound. She said: “I am not only my brother’s keeper; I am my brother.” Though I heard it years ago, it has stuck with me. You see, if Cain had loved his brother as himself, he would not have murdered him.
Are you getting the point here? The key to successful human relationships, and specifically in our youth, is positive parental intervention, love for God, and love for humankind. When you really think about it, all maladaptive behaviors can be addressed if these three basic principles are in tact. Certainly, in our world of sin, even with these in place, there will be trials. But with these principles always in view, we have the best chance at success, and God is ever willing to see us through.
L. DAVID HARRIS, assistant registrar, Columbia Union College in Takoma Park, Maryland, is founder of Each 1 Reach Many Ministries, author of Know Peace Within: A Life in Transition, and the two-volume set Alive at 5: Victory in Retrospect. To find out more, visit www.reachmanyradio.com.
|
|
|
