Mastering the Monster at the Door

Genesis 4:1-16, Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

15 But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Cain - Spear - Farmer

Abel - Breath - Shepherd

Question From Heaven: Why are you so angry?

What others are saying about Anger

• "Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame." 

- Benjamin Franklin

• “Anger is a wind which blows out the lamp of the mind.” 

- Robert Green Ingersoll

• “For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind. “     

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

• “If a small thing has the power to make you angry, does that not indicate something about your size?”

- Sydney J. Harris

Why We Get Angry

We get angry...

• When we feel our rights have been violated.
• When we focus too much on ourselves.
• When we walk in the flesh and not the Spirit.
• When we allow fear to control us.
• When we face obstacles that keep us from our plans. 
• When we repeat the pattern we learned growing up.
• When we live in shame and low self-esteem.

How to Overcome Anger

1. Understand it’s a daily battle.
2. Be quick to listen and slow to speak.

James 1:19,  My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

3. Stay connected to the “Prince of Peace.”

4. Identify the root cause.

5. Practice the “sunset check.”

Ephesians 4:26-27,  “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.

6. Choose to look at the Big Picture.

7. Minute by minute, remind yourself it’s not about you.

8. Walk in the Spirit.

In Case You Missed It …

Answers:  

1. Battle
2. Quick
3. Connected
4. Root
5. Sunset Check
6. Big Picture
7. You
8. Spirit