When conflicts happen in our relationships we have a few options.
- We can ignore them.
- We can confront them.
- We can move towards unity.
- We can move towards winning the conflict.
Which one do you choose?
It’s always important to trust God when conflict disrupts relationships.
In Genesis 13, Abram and Lot reach a point where there is conflict among their herdsmen.
Abram opted to confront the conflict, and in doing so, he offered Lot the option of picking the land he wanted first. Lot picked what appeared on the outside to be the “better” land.
When conflicts arise in our relationships, we should move towards unity. When done correctly, conflict can show the other person how much we care, but ignoring conflict will lead to building walls.
It is important to understand the goal of conflict is not about being right or winning. It is about making things right. To make things right, we must be willing to put the other person first.
We should also remain humble during moments of conflict. The only way to keep your humility is to run your words and thoughts through Christ before speaking them.
The decisions Abram and Lot had to make are the same ones Christians have to make daily. We can trust in God, or we can trust in our own schemes and devices.
Lot picked living among the godless and wicked men for financial gain. Abram picked living in barren hills with his hope in the promise of God.
Every decision we make sets a particular course for our lives. Material prosperity should never be sought at the cost of spiritual peril.
The other thing we see in this story is the importance of being obedient to God.
God had told Abram to leave his entire family behind, but Abram reconnected with Lot. God forced the separation to happen.
When we don’t see the need for obedience to happen, God will create one. And when all appearance of blessings seem out of reach, God will speak words of comfort and reassurance.
