By faith

Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. (Genesis 3:20)

It’s nice to see in this passage that there was reconciliation between Adam and Eve after the fall.

I kind of wonder, however, when Adam actually gave her the name Eve? Did he just call her “woman” all this time?

Still, I love the name he gave her. Eve literally means “Living.”

I get the impression from the passage that Adam gave her that name when God promised to bring a Savior through her seed. And when Adam heard that, he named his wife Eve, saying “Through you comes life.”

Is there a more beautiful name he could’ve given her?

Anyway, I digress. As I read the story of Cain and Abel, the obvious question pops up. Why did God accept Abel’s offering and not Cain’s?

Some people think it’s because it was a sin offering and therefore had to be a blood offering. Others think it’s because Cain didn’t offer his firstfruits.

What we do know for certain is what the author of Hebrews wrote:

By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.

And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. Hebrews 11:4 (NIV)

Whatever the exact reason was, it’s clear that Abel offered his sacrifice in faith. Cain did not.

Maybe for Cain, it became just a habit. Maybe he couldn’t see the point of giving his best to God. Maybe he just couldn’t see why the sacrifices had to be a blood offering.

But whatever his reasons, his attitude did not please God.

I have to wonder sometimes how often I make unacceptable offerings to God.

I must admit that sometimes I’ve seen tithes as a kind of a tax. One of those unpleasant things that is very painful to do, but I kind of have to do.

Yet that’s not really giving by faith, is it?

The apostle Paul writes in II Corinthians 9:7,

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Too often I’m not giving cheerfully, but reluctantly. I still struggle with that sometimes…actually to be honest, I struggle with it often.

At a time when it’s hard to save any money, it’s easy to look back and count all the money I’ve given to the church.

So the question is, “Why am I giving? Is it because I have to? Or because I want to?”

I sometimes also wonder how often I offer prayers unacceptable to God. Sometimes when I’m praying over the food, I find myself just saying words.

Or when we’re praying in church, I find my mind starting to wander. I can’t say that I’m praying by faith in those situations either.

God forgive me. Help me to never have the attitude of Cain which takes you lightly. Which despises you. Which makes prayer a dead ritual. Which makes giving tithes a tax that’s painful to give.

Instead let me have the heart of Abel, who gave every offering out of a heart of faith and who did everything out of his love for you.