Is Once Ever Enough?

The embrace of a new year brings such hope, such want, and the resolve to go get it. However, the reality for many is the need ‘to get through’. The dread of the past, the downturns, downfalls, and down days are enough to cause us real mental-health problems amongst other pressures leading to suicide and fueled drug/ alcohol addictions.

Getting through divorces, childlessness, and lack of employment alongside homelessness is perhaps a little more accurate depiction of many, over against a backdrop of some AI-generated fireworks and confetti.

Getting through tough times seems elusive and clutching hope is usually based on finding something substantial from within ourselves, and then trying that much harder to experience the peace and rest we long for. All against that raging tide of weariness.

Ultimately, getting through to God, from whom we’re assured to find this ultimate hope – has been a centuries long task in which you and I could experience His blessings, celebration, and perhaps some personal confetti.

Family stories from Genesis are always so practical. Here, in the early parts we see Cain (Ge. 4:3) really had things going pretty well for himself. He was able to till his ground and bring forth an abundance of fruit and provide a customary offering. That alluvial soil, which helped produce – what I imagine was some pretty good, quality fruit. Quite a success story if you’d not heard it before. Yet it was the beginning of the seemingly impossible task to get through to God and enjoy some peace and Rest.

However, with all the success Cain brought about through the rich soil, cultivating innovation, ample marketing, strategic planning, and webinars, he was unable to get through to God. His offering was rejected.

Now Cain was not by any standards a godless man and was being rejected, for he had shown up rightfully to offer to God his very best. Nothing wrong with that, yet he still didn’t get through like his brother Abel did; and in fact got so very jealous of his brother – who in a fit of rage and fear, commits murder. Quite a scene, indeed.

That vile disposition of heart is ever and always being taunted, to release for all of us, the most heinous actions. Most particularly when we’re going through something and getting quite frustrated and short; resentful of others’ success. 

So, who gets through then? Are some people better, or lesser than others? Does it matter about where and/ or when we grew up? And what did Abel have? Abel only offered a lamb. Which in the offering world, no way seemed equivalent.

Whether living purportedly successful or failed, miserable lives, we all the time are looking around from within ourselves from our efforts, looking for some good, (like Cain’s fruit) to offer God and find some rest and peace; when faced with crises, our minds and our emotions go into self-protection mode, starting off with introspection.

If we feel our success is a better customary offering than our failure, we bring duty to God, rather than abandon. Fear of success is the same as fear of failure. Fear of failure an irrational dread of panic and challenge as when life feels like or near to zero, a sudden rise of fear and apprehension will take over, causing us to take drastic measure.

Abel, on the other hand took that Life that came in the offering, by abandon. By the surrendering of his life (and lamb) – for the taking up of His Life (the Lamb of God). You and I can gain life through the releasing and letting go, rather than the getting and gaining and never giving away. Maybe offering our real fears is also the key. The fears of success, failure, rejection. These unhealthy phobias we hug, hold, and carry around, are normally masked by one’s ability and bravado.

Being able to take Christ, who is Life, allows our soul to rest because everything that He is, the Father in heaven requires of us. When we recognize our inability, and simply take and eat of Him as the Real fruit of Life, then we find fulfillment.  We may not find fix a immediately, but we do find peace that surpasses understanding, and get rest in our weariness.