our daily bread

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Dexu Xia

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Apr 4, 2018, 1:35:42 AM4/4/18

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Grass or Grace

Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan. Genesis 13:11

My friend Archie came home from vacation to find his neighbor had erected a wooden fence five feet inside his property line. Several weeks went by during which Archie tried to work with his neighbor to remove the fence. He offered to help and to split the cost of the work, but to no avail. Archie could have appealed to civil authorities, but he chose to forgo that right in this instance and allow the fence to stand—to show his neighbor something of the grace of God.

“Archie is a wimp!” you say. No, he was man of towering strength, but he chose grace over a patch of grass.

Lord, help me to show Your love and grace to others.

I think of Abraham and Lot, who fell into conflict because their flocks and herds overwhelmed the land. “Quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites and the Perizzites [the unbelieving community] were also living in the land at that time” (Genesis 13:7). Lot chose the best of the land and lost everything in the end. Abraham took what was left over and gained the promised land (vv. 12–17).

We do have rights and we can claim them, especially when other’s rights are involved. And sometimes we should insist on them. Paul did when the Sanhedrin acted unlawfully (see Acts 23:1–3). But we can choose to set them aside to show the world a better way. This is what the Bible calls “meekness”—not weakness. Strength under God’s control.

Dear Lord, I am prone to look out for myself. Give me wisdom to know when giving up my rights would best demonstrate Your love and grace to others.

My life helps paint my neighbor’s picture of God.

宽容或权益

罗得选择约旦河的全平原。-创世记13章11节

朋友阿奇旅行回来后，发现邻居建了一道木篱笆，越过他家的地界约1.5公尺。阿奇花了几个星期的时间，试着跟邻居商议拆除篱笆。但即便他提出要帮忙拆除，或分担拆除的费用，都徒劳无功。阿奇原本可以提出民事诉讼，但他选择放弃这个权利，让篱笆继续留在原地，藉此向他的邻居展现上帝的宽容。

或许你会认为阿奇是个懦夫，但事实并非如此，他绝对有能力解决这事，只是他选择放弃土地，宽容待人。

这使我想起亚伯拉罕和罗得，他们的牲畜甚多，牧人因为土地不够使用而时有争执。“当时，迦南人与比利洗人[不相信耶和华上帝的人]在那地居住。亚伯兰的牧人和罗得的牧人相争”（创世记13章7节）。后来罗得选了最好的土地，但最后却失去了一切。亚伯拉罕接受罗得选剩的土地，却获得了应许之地（12-17节）。

我们拥有权利，也可以要求应得的权益，在涉及我们与他人之间的共同权益时，更是如此。有时候，我们确实要坚持行使权利，如使徒保罗在犹太公会要对他动用私刑时，便如此行（使徒行传23章1-3节）。但我们也可以选择放下自己的权益，让世人看到一个更好的解决方式。这正是圣经所说的“温柔”而非软弱，这乃是愿意让上帝掌权的能力。

主啊，我常在意自己的权益。求祢让我知道，
何时该放弃权益，好让人看见祢的慈爱与宽容。