And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
Genesis 4:8b (NIV)
Adam and Eve's first two sons were Cain and Abel. Have you ever wondered what kind of relationship they had as kids? I am sure that Cain and Abel played and fought like all children. I do not think Adam and Eve expected one of their children to kill the other, but that is what happened. Cain's jealousy blinded him, and he killed his brother.
I have three brothers. We have always been close, but we used to fight a lot as kids. Some of my most memorable memories are the wrestling matches we used to have. It did not matter that I was a girl fighting with boys or that my brother Carlos and I were older than our two younger brothers were. We hit and jumped on each other without worrying because it was fun.
Gone are those wrestling matches, and even though we do not see eye to eye all the time, my brothers and I have a great relationship. Unfortunately, that is not always the case for all families. I have counseled people who have not seen their siblings in decades because of grudges. Many people allow things like money, jealousy, political differences, or angry words to separate them; some fight more now as adults than when they were children. Unfortunately, those fights are not fun.
Child of God, how is your relationship with your siblings? If you do not have a good relationship with them, would you allow the Holy Spirit to help you repair it? Do not let the devil steal the blessing God gave you in your siblings. No matter what has happened between you, they need you, and you need them.
If they are not serving God, pray for their salvation. Many times, we pray more for strangers than for our own family. Forgive them, ask for their forgiveness, call them, write them, or send them text messages. Do whatever you have to do to bring unity back to your family. Cain's life was never the same after killing his brother. He was separated from his family and exiled from his land. His family was never able to enjoy a relationship with their extended family.
Do not rob your future generations of the blessing of having a loving extended family. Life is short. My dear friend, no matter what kind of relationship you have with your siblings, good or bad, reach out to them and enjoy them this week.
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