Is what I’m doing worth it? Am I doing it for the right reasons?
Does it matter why I do anything?
I’ve had to reflect quite a bit about my own intentions recently after learning more deeply about the tragedy of Cain and Abel. Both offered a tribute to God from their respective places, but only one had a pure motive.
Proverbs suggests that “People may be right in their own eyes, but God judges the heart.” We can put on a facade, pretend, overlook, or justify all we want, but in the end, all the good works we do to make ourselves right don’t do enough to save us. We are brought closer to our King’s throne because Jesus’ blood, not our good deeds, covered any debt we had. God doesn’t want us going through the motions; He wants genuine relationship.
And this is the downfall of Cain. In his heart, he didn’t actually want to offer his work to the one who created him; he only did because it was expected of him. There was no love, only obligation. And how often do I find myself in the same position! Maybe that’s why I’m not good at gardening. My conclusion is this: when we strive to know God more closely, even if we might not always want to in the moment, God honors that. Let the tragedy of Cain be a sign that we should want to want to glorify our Father in Heaven.