For we are brothers. A fact often forgotten in the middle of an argument. Abram was not willing to give into the foolishness. He acted cautiously to prevent any quarreling. He then acted kindly and without any resentment:
Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left." Genesis 13:9
Abram trusted God. He knew as long as God was with him, it
did not matter if he went to the left or the right, so he kindly deferred to
Lot and allowed him to choose their directions. Lot saw the plain of the
The Bible says that the power of life and death reside in
the tongue. We can build each other up and edify or we can tear each other down
and destroy. The enemy is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. When
it comes to quarreling, often times the enemy gets us to do his work for him.
We end up devouring each other. We do not act with caution and engage in arguments
over matters that are ultimately insignificant, or downright stupid. The
resulting quarrel results in the end of a friendship or fellowship. This can be
very damaging within the body of Christ. Are we supposed to agree about
everything? Of course not. But we cannot allow our disagreements to destroy us.
Are we not brothers (and sisters)? We must be willing to teach, be kind to
everyone and avoid resentment. We are to be like Abram, not
Reverend Anthony Wade December 12, 2008