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. But Abel brought 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. Genesis 4:2b-5 Do you see the difference between Cain and Abel? Abel easily gave exactly what God wanted because he did not worship possessions but rather God, but Cain gave up what he (Cain) wanted to give up and kept back what he thought would be good for his pocketbook...

Obedience is tested only when we confront something we do not want to do. In I Samuel 15 it tells of God ordering King Saul to totally annihilate an enemy. Through Samuel, God told Saul: “Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.” I Samuel 15:3...

It is the heart we should examine. The person devoted to cleaning up what is outside their own heart is not doing what Christ did. Christ loved and obeyed the Father and taught others to do the same...