So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarrelling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives.”             Genesis 13:8 NIV

We are “relatives”! That means we are tied together in the same bundle of life, and if I hurt you, I am hurting myself. If you hurt me, you are hurting yourself. Whenever strife develops between members of the Body of Christ, it always has this result. Abram, in his God-given wisdom said, “Let us not have any of this. We are relatives, so do not let this become an issue between us. Let us calmly settle the matter now before it breaks out in open conflict.” Then Abram did a godly thing; he gave up his own rights without a murmur. He said to Lot, “Lot, you take the first choice.” There is the story of two Christian men who almost came to blows over a disagreement. One man finally stood and pounded the desk and shouted, “I don’t care what you do, but I will have my rights!” At that, an old, partially deaf man, who had been sitting near, leaned forward and cupped his ear in his hand and said, “Eh? What’s that? What did you say? Your rights, is it? Is that what you want? Ah, if you had your rights you’d be in hell! The Lord Jesus didn’t come to get His rights – He came to get his wrongs, and He got them.” With that the belligerent man sat down, saying, “You’re right, you’re right, settle it any way you like.” Soon there was perfect agreement. It was this same spirit that moved Abram to give Lot the first choice.

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, may we never seek our rights, but only Your way.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, whatever the conflict, stop us from seeking our rights, and rather Your way of dealing with conflict. AMEN

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

Ezekiel 8:1-16

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