Tag: angry

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Why are you so upset?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Andre Hunter on Unsplash

When I get to Genesis 4, I have so many questions.

  • What was wrong with Cain’s offering?
  • Why was Cain so angry? (Even the Lord asks, “Why are you angry?”)
  • Was Cain angry at God or at his brother Abel?
  • Why did Cain’s anger escalate to murder? Did he set out to kill his brother? Or did his anger get out of control?

I’ve got three clues from scripture to help me understand.

“By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did” (Hebrews 11:4).

“Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous” (1 John 3:12).

“Woe to [these ungodly people]! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion” (Jude 11).

So Cain had more than just anger issues. He rejected God. His response both to the Lord and Abel stemmed from unbelief. Cain is numbered with Balaam and Korah, who foolish rebelled against God.

The first sin is disobeying God’s instruction, “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:17). From there, things progress from bad to worse. The next recorded sin is murder. No wonder Cain’s offering was unacceptable. His life was on a trajectory away from God. “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).

Every Old Testament sacrifice pointed to Christ, the sacrifice for sin. If worship is about you rather than him, you’re missing the point.

Posted in Life

Mixing it up at the gas pump

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Redd Francisco on Unsplash

I didn’t hear the bell, but suddenly, both fighters came out of their corners and began swinging. Sort of.

I wasn’t ringside at an octagon. I was just pumping gas at BJ’s Wholesale. I was feeling pretty good about filling the tank with fuel that cost about twenty cents less than the Racetrack just a few blocks away. My reverie was shattered when the woman on the other side of my pump released a barrage of obscenities at the guy in a white pickup truck directly in front of her.

She had finished her purchase, but couldn’t pull forward because the driver of the pickup had pulled right in front of her, blocking her exit. I have no idea why he was there. He just wasn’t moving. First she asked. Then she yelled. Then she started cursing. He didn’t budge. He just shouted right back at her.

Everyone else at the pumps paused to watch them spar. Finally she unloaded several f-bombs, backed up, and left, tires squealing. The man still didn’t move. For some reason, he decided to camp out there for a while. He wasn’t blocking me, so I just pulled away, glad that I wasn’t in the middle of that.

From my experience, most people aren’t happy at the gas pump. I’m not exactly sure why. It could be cost of fuel. It could be that they’ve been in the car together for way too long. Someone usually needs to go to the bathroom right now, but they know it’s going to be disgusting in there. There are people pulling in and backing out, making maneuvering a challenge. Any number of things.

I don’t think I’ve ever gotten into a heated argument with a stranger. I avoid such confrontations, preferring to find a different solution. Some, however, take on all challengers. I’m more than happy to just be a spectator.