Am I My Brother's Keeper?

copyright Millie Plastaras 7/10/2005

And the Lord said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? He
said "I do not know, am I my brother's keeper?
Genesis 4:9

From the very beginning of time the word of God
stressed the theme of brotherhood, and on the high
priority of how they should treat each other. It often
brings into question, exactly who is my brother,
and how I am responsible to them, or accountable.
If at all?

The word that Cain used for keeper was the
Hebrew word Shamar which means to guard,
protect, to regard.

When God asked Cain if he knew where his brother
was, Cain had the audacity to lie to God, posing
the question, am I to keep track of my brother?

God who sees all things, said What have you done?
The voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the
ground.

Genesis 4:10

Cain, was very mistaken. He had forgotten there is nothing
hidden to God. God could even see his brother buried
in the ground. He knew Cain's thoughts before he uttered
words. He knew the sin and desperation in his heart.

God in this verse was letting Cain know.. yes, you are
responsible for your brother, and accountable for what
you say or do to him.

This theme is found throughout scripture. The royal
command is to love one another as God has loved us.
The word says, by this will all men know you are my
disciples if you have love to one another.

So what does this mean to us?
It means I am your sister. It means even if we disagree,
you are to love me with the love of God, which is unconditional.
How easy is this? It isn't. That's the point. WE alone,
cannot attain this level of love. This requires a servant's heart,
stripped of pride and self-will and full of the anointing
of the Holy Spirit, wise beyond our years, full of the wisdom
of God, and his Word.

This requires time spent before the throne of God in
prayer, meditation, worship and reading His Word.

So what if we leave out some of these steps? Our ability
to love others is radically affected.

One of the biggest problems I see in churches and
among Christians now, is a lack of true love. No one knows
how to get along, much less forgive each other.
Everyone carries little grudges they never let go of.
Oh, they say they do, but in their heart is the vestiges of
those little lies about forgiving others, they have not
really forgiven.

People have forgotten how to humble themselves
and love one another even, or in spite of their differences.

People often spend time demonizing people they disagree
with in a effort to make themselves look better, or more
right, or more spiritual. This is not of God my friend.
Pray for them, don't say unkind, thoughtless or hasty words
about them.

One of the keys to a thoughtful mind turned towards loving
others can be found, and directly related to one's
submission to Christ.

What is in our heart the most, comes out through our mouth?
There is no hiding the depths of our heart. Sooner or later
it comes out.

What it should be is:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law.
And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with
it's passions and desires. If we live in the spirit we must
walk in the spirit.
Galatians 5:22-25

You see, if we find we cannot forgive someone,
If we find we cannot love someone,
If we find we are constantly angry with the same person,
Unwilling to back down from our need to be right,
then we need to go back to that cross of Christ
and crucify those things which separate us from
loving God, and loving Others.

You see, we can claim to be Christians, but unless
we are growing, and loving, and learning, and dedicating
ourselves to Christian pursuits, and Christian thinking
and staying in the word, and being powerful in it,
and loving and forgiving, we are not walking with Christ.

We are pursuing our own mindset.

In this the children of God and the children of the devil are
manifested. Whoever does not practice righteousness
is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
For this is the message that you heard from the beginning,
that we should love one another.
Not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered
his brother. And why did he murder him?
Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous.
1 John 3:10-12

My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue,
but in deed and in truth, and by this we know that
we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

My friend, if you are unable to love someone, pray till you can.
It doesn't mean they have to be your best buddy, or that
you have to talk to them everyday. But it does mean you
have to forgive them unconditionally and love them
with the love that Christ longs to plant in your heart.

To do this, you have to free yourself from the past hurts,
the past unforgiveness, the past angers. Let it Go.

Just give it away, piece by piece, and let God cleanse
your heart and renew your mind, and fill you with His love.

Nothing ... nothing you can do, will make your Christian
life more evident to those around you, than loving God,
and loving others.

remember
Only one life, will soon be past
Only what is done, for Christ will last