You probably know more than one gracious man or woman. When someone is gracious he or she is easy to get along with, generous, and flexible. A gracious person is characterized by kindness, courtesy, mercy, and compassion. By nature Christians should be gracious, reflecting “the wisdom that is from above” (James 3:17-18). In Genesis 13:5-18, Abraham proved to be a gracious man in when dealings with Lot. There are a few notable aspects of this graciousness.

Both Abraham and Lot were wealthy men. Both had large herds and both needed lots of water to exist. Because the land could not support them both, there were disagreements between Abraham and Lot’s servants.

Abraham was the senior member of the family. He confronted Lot gently, not wanting strife because they were brethren. We should never desire strife between ourselves and fellow Christians. John 13:34-35 says, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you,
that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” Abraham graciously gave Lot his choice of locations. Whatever direction Lot was willing to go, Abraham would go in the opposite direction. Abraham allowed Lot to have the choice, when, in reality Abraham could have had his choice.

Lot chose the plain of Jordan, although it contained the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham chose to remain in the land of Canaan, which was the land of God’s choice for Abraham. Abraham actually remained in the will of God by remaining in the land of Canaan. However, Genesis 18-19 records the terrible price that Lot paid for his selfish misjudgment.

God comforted Abraham by promising him that land forever. The land promise was one of Abraham’s three major promises. As long as Abraham’s descendants followed the Lord, He would allow them to stay in that land. In our circumstance, when we are gracious and remain in the will of God, God will also bring comfort to us. Graciousness in difficult situations can be a great blessing and can bring people closer together. It is a noble characteristic to possess!

Kyle Campbell