Genesis 12:4-5

New International Version

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years oldwhen he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan,and they arrived there.

For Meditation

“Wait a minute, Abram. Didn’t God tell you to go out of your country and away from your people and your father’s household? What is Lot doing in your caravan?”

Separation is difficult, especially among families. The emotional strain is so heavy and sometimes unbearable that many neglect it. But nothing can become a thorn in life than continuing in an unhealthy relationship God warns against.

Lot was the son of Abram’s brother, Haran, who died in Ur before Terah took his family to Harran, where he also died (Genesis 11:27-31). Orphaned and without a grandfather, Abram had become the only relative Lot had. God told Abram to leave his family and journey to an undisclosed location, perhaps that no one could know where to find him. God had a new people and nation in Abram for His redemption project, and He demanded a total separation from the beginning. However, Abram had a problem. How could he leave his nephew alone in Harran?

Did Abram ask Lot to come along, or did he find it difficult to resist Lot’s request to go with him? The narrative suggests a pleading from Lot to me, but whatever it was, Lot did not belong to the travel manifest Abram presented to the Lord. Either way, it might have been a tough emotional decision for him. However, God instructed Abram to separate from his people and father’s household, including Lot. He learned how difficult it was to keep what God had asked him to let go, and it was a painful experience (13:5-13; 14:8-16; 18:16-33). There was something more.

The continued association of Abram and Lot became a hindrance to Abram’s blessing. God held back the gifting of the Promised Land and His blessing to Abram until the two separated (13:14-17).

Walk through the pages of sacred scripture and discover how separation has everything to do with a faithful walk with God because it makes us completely His—the essence of Abram’s call. It is the basis of our call to God through Christ (Exodus 20:5, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 1 Peter 1:16).

We benefit when we obey God and remove ourselves from any unhelpful relationship, no matter how difficult or stressful. The initial reaction of people and the outcomes of our actions could shock us, but what it saves us from outweighs them all.

Finally, when we obey God, He blesses us in surprising ways. We do not know what we lose when we hold on to a cherished relationship, behavior, or practice He asks us to let go.

Sometimes, we realize what we have lost when it is too late. Our disobedience blindfolds us from the surrounding opportunities until it is too late. So, what do we do?

We learn from our past mistakes to avoid falling into the social, emotional, economic, political, or peer pressure that impedes spiritual growth. That calls for determination and a firm resolve to obey God, regardless of any backlash or where it may come from. We have God as our ultimate judge.