And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. (Genesis 13:8-9)
When Abraham left Egypt, he took with him his nephew, Lot. After settling near Bethel, they found that the land was “not able to bear them.” Eventually there was strife between the herdsmen of Abraham and Lot. Lot and Abraham were ranchers. Running cattle requires a large amount of acreage. It would seem that there wasn’t enough quality grazing acreage in the region around Bethel to support the herds of both men. Abraham was a man of peace and suggested they live in separate areas and offered Lot the first choice of land. Neal A. Maxwell wrote, “The complete, genuine willingness of Abraham to adjust to whatever Lot’s decision is the mark of a generosity of spirit of that remarkable patriarch.”[1]
We see that family life hasn't changed much in four thousand years. Families then, and families now, have conflicts for a variety of reasons. Abraham’s family and Lot’s family struggled over a piece of land. Our children may struggle over who gets a certain spot in the car or who gets the last piece of pizza. Adult children may have a disagreement over the division of an inheritance. What a wonderful example Abraham presents to us. He was more concerned about family unity and peace than he was with his own selfish interests. How much more peaceful and productive our families would be if we followed the example of Abraham.
[1] Neal A. Maxwell, That My Family Should Partake (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1974), pp. 92-93.
