One Look Too Many

"Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives."
Genesis 13:8 (NIV)

Abraham and his nephew Lot have a problem, and the way each man handles it tells us a lot about who they really are.

Abraham holds all the cards. God has already deeded every acre, every river, and every green pasture to him. He could have pulled rank, reminded Lot who brought him along, and sent him packing with nothing. He would have been within his rights.

But he doesn't. Instead, Abraham looks at his nephew and says, essentially, you choose first. He prioritizes family over fortune and relationships over riches. Abraham loved the Lord more than he loved Lot, and he loved Lot more than he loved the land.

Lot is Abraham’s nephew, a young man who has everything because Abraham brought him along when he could have left him behind. 

When they arrive in the land, Lot looks around and doesn't pray, seek God, or build an altar. He just looks, and he sees the lush, prosperous, and appealing land of Sodom. He is more interested in his gold than his God; more interested in his fortune than his family. He moves toward Sodom. Then closer. Then he lives there.

Notice that progression. It doesn’t usually happen all at once. You look. Then you lean. Then you live there.

Here's the question worth sitting with today: What do your recent decisions reveal about your actual priorities? Not the ones you'd list on paper, but the ones showing up in your calendar, your wallet, and your attention. 

Look to God with all your heart. Love Him more than your work, your opportunities, and your possessions. When you put yourself second, God has a way of putting you first.

Prayer: Lord, I praise You for Your goodness. Teach me how to always look to You first. Show me what my choices are actually saying about what I love most. Lead me by Your Holy Spirit so that I love and follow You with all of my heart. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.