Are Settling or Producing Your Best Fruit with What You Have?
“but on Cain and his offering he did not.” ~ Gn 4:5
Today, I’m reflecting on the first reading, which is Genesis 4:15, 25. I don’t fully understand the context of the story, so I’m just gonna share what came to mind as I read it.
This is the story of Cain killing Abel. I’m focusing on God’s reaction to the offerings for each of the brothers.
In the story, Abel is in charge of the flocks and Cain is in charge of the soil. So one takes care of the animals, and the other one takes care of the land to produce fruit.
- Abel brings the best of his flock. God is happy.
- Cain brings some fruit of his labor. God is not pleased.
- Cain got mad, jealous of Abel, and decides to take his life.
I was intrigued by the gifts.
What is the context of God’s response? What is the reading trying to say?
What I got from it was a question: am I settling for what I have and just going on with life as is? Or am I attempting to produce the best I can?
It doesn’t matter how hard I’m working, how busy I am, how many things I’m trying to get through. The question is, am I doing the best with what I’m given by producing the best fruit that I can, given my talents, the responsibilities I have?
Why is that question so important?
I think it’s important not necessarily because of the outcomes you can produce by trying to be and produce your best, but that I find it that is much more fulfilling to know I’m creating something and I’m giving it all to using whatever I have at my disposal to create something that is of value to me and to others and to the world.
I related it to society’s message there is one formula to succeed, one formula to be happy, and it tries to limit us to that model. And we can be very successful in it, but am I going to be fully satisfied with it?
Lately in my life, the answer is “No.” I’m trying all the things to produce the best fruit that I can with what I’ve been given.
The battle with it is real, though. Is it worth it to go this way? Or is it safer to check the boxes, do whatever’s in there, and produce some fruit that is good enough for government work? (As I used to say in my corporate role)
That’s my reflection for today.
- Are you settling with the situations you have?
- Are you just going through the motions to produce something and survive?
- Or, are you actually putting in the effort to utilize everything you have at your disposal to produce the best product that you can?
It doesn’t mean that is the best in the world, it simply means it is your best with what you are given and with what you know you can do.
Let me know what you think.
In peace,
~Juan
