Don't Let Cain't Kill Your Able

Originally written November 2006.

I had a discussion the other day about Cain and Able with a man in my office. While looking for one thing, I came across this.

In the story of Cain and Abel, there are many wise lessons.

We see illustrated the natural, inbred contempt that can reside between two brothers. A time came to build altars and offer sacrifices; one sacrifice was accepted and the other was rejected.

If you have sons, you can sympathize with the hurt feelings that followed.

"And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him."

We can learn somethings from Cain and Abel and identify these two natures within ourselves.

The me I am and the me I want to be.

Or as Paul said, "For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." We all feel these twin brothers of our own nature struggling for preeminence in our lives. When we think Abel is winning, Cain will rise up and try to silence him. Here is the message.

I know I am taking a little license here, and you might say, "You can't do that!" Well, I say, "Yes, I am able!"

We must never let our "can't" kill our "able."

There is a dark, forbidding voice inside us that would try to throw cold water on every fire, throw a sour note in every melody, and insert a doubtful question in every declaration of faith.

I believe this dual nature of humanity was the by-product of sin. The scripture talks about the Word of God and its ability to sever the fused elements of our nature into two separate, distinct elements. He does not destroy the one but simply separates the two so that they function correctly. "...piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit..."

This is the "can't" and "able" that lives in all of us.

Jesus sympathized with His sleepy disciples in that hour of temptation when prayer was the order of the day. Jesus looked at them and said, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

We must be aware that these twin brothers illustrate for us our the feud and fight inside we face.

It is natural; the scripture says it this way, "For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please."

We learn how to live with these two voices as we grow in God. We learn how to lend our favor and strength to the Abel part of us. We learn how to silence the voice of "can't." I guess as long as we live, "can't" will argue with "able"; however, we must ensure that our "can't" never slays our "able."

Look what happened when Cain killed Abel. The voice of Abel's blood cried from the ground. I see this as the voice of condemnation and regret, the voice of "what if,"; and the voice of "if only." We must not allow our lives to be relegated to listening to regret. We must allow the Gift of God in our lives to overcome whatever failure happens.

The Bible says that Cain became a marked man, and others fled from him. What does this mean in this context? No one wants to be around "can't." "Can't" never could. No one wants to hear all the problems. No one wants to be around a dark cloud. We all need good counsel, but as much as counsel, we need confidence. We want to be around people who can see the obstacles and figure out the solution to whatever challenges may arise. God drove Cain away. Sometimes, you must do that with your "can't."

Don't let "Cain’t" kill your "able” in your life."

Let Your Able Live, Thrive, and Survive.

In Him, By Him, Through Him,

Scott Phillips