As Abraham's riches continued to increase he did not find adequate grazing land as long as he was with Lot, his nephew. Areas that are able to sustain one rich man's household may not be able to sustain the households of two. As Lot's uncle and guardian, Abraham could certainly have commanded Lot to take to worse territory. He could have sent Lot away entirely. Yet in his desire to be pleasing to God, he chose to prefer Lot over himself. There's a lesson to be learned in this. At the essence of living in a family is the idea of preferring others above yourself. Denying your own desires to see to the good of others is central to leading a family well. And when we compare our family relationships to the relationship of Christ to the Church, we see that Christ, the head of the Church, laid down his own life for the good of his people.
Abraham's actions in blessing Lot are instructive to husbands. We can see a fine example of the kind of love we ought to have for our families. His actions are also instructive to all Christians. Do we love our neighbor as ourselves? Do we consider the other's needs as more important than our own? In fact, we don't. We may often come close and do noble things, but ultimately we fail. So this lesson, while it urges us on to good works, simultaneously urges us to repentance, to trust in Christ who did give himself for our life. Let us rejoice then in the care of our Lord and savior. Let us also turn and strive to serve our neighbors according to their need, God's instruments for their good.
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