Consider something with me for a second. To what extent do you dislike being labeled and defined in negative terms? Lazy, stubborn, dumb, or mean as examples. Now consider the inverse, to what extent to you enjoy and seek to be labeled in positive terms? Hardworking, reasonable, smart, or kind as examples. It is an interesting exercise and I think most of us should probably admit that we really like to be labeled in positive terms and dislike to be labeled in negative terms.
This is all obvious and perfectly right. For example, it is very important to me to be considered/labeled as polite. Also, it is very unfair to permanently label others or ourselves in negative terms. We all can do things better, and mistakes should not carry the weight they often do. But this begs the question, should we fully accept positive labels as defining of ourselves or others?
If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it. (Genesis 4:7)
Here is the problem, as much as I want to be polite, I often am not polite. As much as many of us want to appear to be hardworking, we can be mentally lazy. We are simply going to struggle to live up to any positive labels. This is not to say we should run from them.
I have to imagine that Abel understood what it takes to offer a gift that would be accepted, while Cain avoided the proper understanding. And I have to think that the sin crouching at the door is apathy. In the strongest terms possible we must understand the danger of apathy to a disciple. Apathy opens the door and dances with sin in the moonlight. It will wreck our witness. In other words, if we want to deserve the positive labels of hardworking, reasonable, smart, and kind; we must articulate them to the world around us every day. Without this the gift is ultimately hollow.
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