We need to make real sacrifices to enable us reach our targets and/or goals in life. Why? ..because we chose this path as human beings; though in the beginning it was not so.
In Gen. 4:1-7, we study an important lesson; the true and false approaches to God. Cain and Abel, both children of Adam and Eve were farmers. Cain was into crops whiles Abel was into animals. They got up one day and decided to sacrifice onto God. However, God did not accept that of Cain but accepted that of Abel, why??? A reason is not because Cain offered crop sacrifices whiles Abel offered animals. Abel’s sacrifice was accepted due to his personality and his attitude towards God. So why was Cain angry? There should be some background reasons for Cain’s attitude. This is where personality comes into play.
God in His loving kindness even (in Gen. 4:6-7) offered Cain an explanation to His rejection of his (Cain’s) offering, gave him plans for the redemption of the situation and also His (God’s) direct advice concerning sinning. What did Cain do? He threw all those back at God and CHOSE to still carry on. Cain therefore sinned against God and man. Sin is the contradiction of one’s conscience and that of others; to disorganise somebody’s life.
Reading 1 Samuel 15:22 and Ecclesiastes 5:1, we find out that it is better to obey than to sacrifice. It was not until we sinned that sacrifices needed to be made to atone for our sins.
The disobedience of God’s word leads us to think that we can fight for God and protect the church. But if we understand 2 Timothy 2:15, we would work daily towards increasing our knowledge in God’s word which is the truth. As Christians our personality needs to be right; not the Cain’s worship approach of pride and disobedience. If we worry about these first and leave the other things to God, then He would use us as rocks to straighten His body (church) Matthew 16:18.