“Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.’” Genesis 4:6-7

I noticed it about Thursday of last week… at the time… it was just a faint whiff! But it was a whiff enough to know that something in the church had died. I’m still not sure if it was denial, laziness or a case of wishful thinking, but I must admit that I didn’t really look TOO hard. By Sunday morning, when I opened up the Church, reality hit and my countenance fell! As the seats began to fill, a thorough investigation came up empty. The question on most people’s lips was, “What’s that smell?”

I am experienced in the rat department. I find that rats are like colds, bills and taxes! They seem to come in seasons. I had already caught 5 outside my house last week, and the smell of decay hadn’t yet left my nose, if it ever does! But there I was, dressed in my Sunday-go-to-meetin’ clothes, facing my failure. If I had only investigated more carefully! Now…it was only 10 minutes before service was to start!

I had already sprayed half a can of air freshener throughout the place. SOME people were even fooled! But not most! Facing the situation realistically I did what ANYONE might do. I had a mini-meltdown! Grabbing 3 of my tough guys I said, “Look.. I am tired of always having to do the dirty work around here! Can you give me a hand and FIND THAT RAT?” 7 minutes later it was pulled from the attic and everyone began to breathe a little easier!

Now this story is an example of what ‘The Church’ is really all about! In the story of Cain and Able, a stench was already settling around Cain when God pulled up a stool, looked into Cain’s eyes and shot that warning off to him. And don’t think for a moment that God didn’t KNOW what Cain was going to end up doing, after the crouching sin entered Cain’s heart, it turned to complete stink! But God HAD to let free will choose! And Cain ended up a stink-pot forever!

I need tough guys and gals around me to hold me accountable and to point out the stink in my life. Sometimes I can’t smell it myself! Other times, I deny it’s there or try to mask it. But the stink of sin is even MORE nauseating than a dead rat. Sooner or later, it takes it’s toll and ruins who and whatever it touches. I find God’s words to Cain are prophetic to ALL of us. Jesus died for us, but even HIS rat removal system cannot have an effect if He isn’t contacted and allowed access to the stench.

If YOU’VE got stench? Who are YOU gonna call???