Contagious Emotions

By looking at Genesis 4, we're going to talk about the blind spot of anger. In Genesis 4, we read that Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel. Beginning in verse 2, we read “Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 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.'"

So we read about these two brothers who both give offerings to God. But Abel gives the fat portions and the firstborn of his flock. In other words, he gives the very best to God. But when Cain gives, it's merely the leftovers from his fields. God sees the person and the heart behind each offering. The Bible tells us that God blessed Abel's offering, but he rejected the offering of Cain. And Cain was very angry and his face was downcast in response to God’s rejection of his offering. 

This actually is the first time that anger is ever mentioned in Scripture. One of the reasons that we are discussing the need to be able to identify our emotions, like anger, is because our emotions are contagious. Even without intentionally sharing your emotions, others can pick up on your expressed emotions and those emotions, whether good or bad, can be transmitted to them. So before you share any negative emotions with family or friends, take a minute and get to the cause of your anger. Why do you feel that way? Where's that anger coming from?

DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTION: When have you experienced emotions being contagious? What can you to combat “catching” someone else’s negative emotions?