In my devotional time today I read Genesis 13 which is part of the Abrahamic narrative. In the narrative both Abraham and his nephew Lot have become incredibly wealthy. They have left their homeland to follow God, they have experienced some bumps and bruises along the way, but in this chapter they find themselves in the land of Canaan (otherwise known as the Promised Land).
The particular land they choose to inhabit is not big enough for both men. Their flocks are so vast, their possessions so many, that division develops between the Family. Their workers and shepherds begin fighting and it becomes evident that something must change. They simply cannot share the land any longer. They must separate for the sake of family unity.
So Abraham gives his nephew Lot the choice of land. There are two regions. One is very fertile, and one is not so much. The former is prosperous, but the latter is not. Abraham tells Lot to pick his region, promising to inhabit whatever land Lot leaves behind. As most of us would do, Lot picks the fertile and prosperous land where he will have the greatest opportunity and chance for success.
But there is more to this story than meets the eye. It’s a lesson in the classic tension between spirituality and success.
Abraham takes the moral high-ground of working for family peace and harmony while Lot takes the ambitious road of prosperity and success. And Abraham’s choice will be blessed by God while Lot will suffer the consequences. Abraham’s family will be established and become a great nation. Lot’s marriage will be destroyed and his entire family line will be corrupted. And it all started with the choice to make success and prosperity a higher calling than family and faith.
