Genesis 13

We saw in the last chapter that, even though Abram was faithful, he could still make goofs. In this chapter, we see another one of Abram's imperfections, this one very human: He squabbles with his relatives. After trekking miles and miles from Ur to Egypt and back to Canaan in close proximity with Lot, Abram apparently can't stand his nephew anymore--and the feeling is mutual.

We all know people we can't stand, though I'm lucky enough not to have to spend much time with said people. And although Abram and Lot agree to go their separate ways, Abram is magnanimous enough to let Lot pick where to go. As the elder, Abram probably could've said, "I'm going over here to this awesome oasis. Good luck trying to survive in the Jundland Wastes!" When I'm in positions of privilege, do I take the high road, allowing others to pick their preference? When I'm driving and have the right of way, it irks me whenever someone who, apparently not valuing their own life, makes an unsafe or illegal maneuver. Of course, one should always drive defensively lest one become a doormat, and I myself have gone through many a yellow light. If one is too obsequious, that can also create a lack of respect from those whom one interacts with. But (and I think I've touched on this before) making selfish decisions gets me nowhere. Well, it does get me somewhere--it pushes me away from God.

In verse 10, Lot looks around and just happens to be able to see the features of the land around him. I can only assume that he and Abram are on the top of some conveniently located mountain. Or maybe he's using a jetpack.

Although most of us have positions of influence over certain other people, we also sometimes receive the benefits of mentors in positions above us. Lot, allowed by Abram to pick his territory, chooses the land that looks the most promising and beneficial--near Sodom, a choice that will eventually leave his wife in a pillar-shaped state of dismay. Abram, on the other hand, puts his trust in God and in turn is promised a permanent land for his people (what is now Israel) and multitudinous descendants.

I ashamedly tend to take the Lot route when I make decisions. Though I haven't undergone the horrors (to put it mildly) that Lot faced, trying to make decisions based on my own pleasure leads to temporary satisfaction, but tends to give me a bad attitude when confronted with difficult situations. And yet I keep doing it! We can all laugh at Biblical characters making the same mistakes over and over, yet I act similarly. I'm going to sound like a broken record, albeit one that God probably broke intentionally: I need to rely on God and not on my own strength.