Genesis 13:1-9: a reflection

1Abram went up out of Egypt—he, his wife, all that he had, and Lot with him—into the South. 2Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3He went on his journeys from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4to the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first. There Abram called on the LORD’s name. 5Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks, herds, and tents. 6The land was not able to bear them, that they might live together; for their possessions were so great that they couldn’t live together. 7There was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites lived in the land at that time. 8Abram said to Lot, “Please, let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen; for we are relatives. 9Isn’t the whole land before you? Please separate yourself from me. If you go to the left hand, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right hand, then I will go to the left.”

When strife arises between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot because the land cannot support them both, Abram, though the elder and the one with the greater claim, generously yields the choice to Lot, preferring peace over his own advantage. Let there be no strife between you and me, Abram says; is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you go left, I will go right; if you go right, I will go left. Abram had the right, as the elder and as the one God had called, to choose first and take the best; but rather than insist on his rights and risk strife, he gave Lot the first choice, yielding his own advantage for the sake of peace. This shows a peacemaking generosity that yields its rights for peace. Abram yielded his rights to Lot for the sake of peace. Peacemaking generosity prefers peace over personal advantage. Yielding our rights can be the way to peace. Abram chose peace over insisting on his own advantage.

Notice Abram's generosity in the face of potential strife. The land could not support both households, and strife had already broken out between their herdsmen. Abram, as the elder and as the one God had called and promised the land, had every right to choose first, to take the best land and give Lot what was left. But he did not insist on his rights. Instead, he graciously offered Lot the first choice: you choose, and I will take what is left. He yielded his own advantage, his rightful claim, for the sake of peace between them. This is a picture of peacemaking generosity. We can insist on our rights, our rightful claims, our advantage, even at the cost of strife; or we can, like Abram, yield our rights and advantage for the sake of peace. There is a generosity that prefers peace and the good of the relationship over insisting on getting what we are entitled to. Abram trusted God with the outcome and chose peace over advantage; and God, as the story goes on to show, honored him. To yield our rights for the sake of peace, trusting God, is a peacemaking generosity worth imitating. Peacemaking generosity yields its rights and advantage for peace. Do not always insist on your rights; sometimes yield them for peace. Prefer peace and the good of the relationship over your own advantage. Trust God with the outcome, and choose peace over insisting on your due.

That is worth taking to heart, for there is a peacemaking generosity that yields its rights and advantage for the sake of peace, as Abram gave Lot the first choice rather than insist on his own claim. We can insist on our rights, our rightful claims, our advantage, even at the cost of strife; but Abram, though he had the greater claim, yielded the choice to Lot for the sake of peace, trusting God with the outcome. Peacemaking generosity prefers peace over advantage. When strife threatens, do not always insist on your rights; consider yielding them for peace, as Abram did, trusting God. Consider yielding your rights and advantage for the sake of peace rather than always insisting on them, as Abram, when strife arose between his herdsmen and Lot's because the land could not support them both, though he was the elder and the one God had called and promised the land, and so had the right to choose first, did not insist on his rights but generously offered Lot the first choice, saying, let there be no strife between us; if you go left, I will go right, and if you go right, I will go left; for we can insist on our rights, our rightful claims, and our advantage even at the cost of strife, or we can, like Abram, yield them for the sake of peace and the good of the relationship, and there is a peacemaking generosity that prefers peace over getting what we are entitled to, trusting God with the outcome, as Abram trusted God and chose peace over advantage and God honored him, so that we do well to consider yielding our rights for peace rather than always insisting on our due.

Lord, when strife arises between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot because the land cannot support them both, Abram, though the elder and the one with the greater claim, generously yields the choice to Lot, preferring peace over his own advantage. Let there be no strife between you and me, Abram says; is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you go left, I will go right; if you go right, I will go left. Abram had the right, as the elder and the one you had called, to choose first and take the best; but rather than insist on his rights and risk strife, he gave Lot the first choice, yielding his own advantage for the sake of peace. This shows a peacemaking generosity that yields its rights for peace. Show me Abram's generosity in the face of potential strife. The land could not support both households, and strife had broken out between their herdsmen. Abram, as the elder and the one you had called and promised the land, had every right to choose first. But he did not insist on his rights. Instead, he graciously offered Lot the first choice, yielding his own advantage for the sake of peace. This is a picture of peacemaking generosity. I can insist on my rights, my rightful claims, my advantage, even at the cost of strife; or I can, like Abram, yield them for the sake of peace. There is a generosity that prefers peace and the good of the relationship over insisting on getting what I am entitled to. Abram trusted you with the outcome and chose peace; and you honored him. Take that to my heart, for there is a peacemaking generosity that yields its rights for peace. When strife threatens, keep me from always insisting on my rights; help me consider yielding them for peace, Lord, as Abram did, trusting you with the outcome and preferring peace and the good of the relationship over my own advantage.