Making Concessions
After Abram and Lot had been traveling together for some time, things started to get tense between them. Their employees began to get upset with each other. Eventually they realized that "that land wasn't big enough for the two of them."
But Abram had already begun to grow as a man of God. Because instead of compromising his faith to get his way, he had become a man who knew about making concessions to find a way forward. We read "So Abram said to Lot, 'Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 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 13:8-9 NIV11)
Conflict and Character
One of the main situations in which people of God often compromise in their faith is when they face conflict. When somebody upsets them, they become unchristian for a moment! In a sense they compromise their calling to be a person of kindness, patience and healing, by becoming a person of aggression and pride.
Abram could've done that with Lot. He could've said that word that toddlers love so much—mine! My land! And chased Lot away with a great deal of self-righteousness.
But as I said, he seems to already have matured here. Instead of compromising his values to win the fight, he makes a concession. He concedes part of the land for Lot.
William MacDonald, in his commentary on this verse, says this: "In true courtesy, kindness, and unselfishness, Abram offered Lot his choice of all the land. In lowliness of mind, he esteemed others better than himself."
And then he puts a reference - Philippians 2:3 - which says: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves."
The Value of Family Unity
It's always sad to see people of God in conflict. In fact, some people end up leaving church and even the faith because of how nasty and aggressive Christians can be in the church.
Oh for more people who will say what Abram says here: "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives." We in the church are a family of believers, aren't we? Isn’t church a home for us as brothers and sisters in Christ?
Are you able to set aside what you want at times, and say "we are family here. Let's not fight"?
To concede something means to surrender it, to give it up, in a sense. Praise God for people who are willing to make concessions in order to move forward, and to facilitate growth, and to allow for God's work to be done.
I hope that people in God's community are always willing to make concessions—not compromises—but concessions, when the situation calls for it.
