Abram Teaches Us About Respect

When Abram left Egypt with his family, his herds, and all of his possessions, he also had with him his nephew, Lot. Now Lot had his family and his herds and his possessions, too. The Lord had blessed both abundantly, and soon there wasn’t enough room for both families. Abram trusted God to take care of him, and he knew that he and Lot must go separate ways. “So Abram said to Lot: “Let there be no strife between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land at your disposal? Please separate from me. If you prefer the left, I will go to the right; if you prefer the right, I will go to the left. Lot looked about and saw how well watered the whole Jordan Plain was as far as Zoar, like the LORD’S own garden, or like Egypt. (This was before the LORD had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) Lot, therefore, chose for himself the whole Jordan Plain and set out eastward. Thus, they separated from each other; Abram stayed in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the Plain, pitching his tents near Sodom.” Genesis 13: 8-12
Abram knew that giving Lot the first choice was the way to keep peace in the family because he knew that was more important than getting better grazing land.