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In life’s epic exam, a tale unfolds,
Choices to be made, a story to be told.
Abraham and Lot, making choices bold,
Abraham lost, yet grabbed the gold.

Abraham, allowed Lot to choose first,
Lot chose to be first, his choice made him last,
Abraham chose last, but God put him first
Trust in God and you’ll always be first.

Eyeing the lush terrain, Lot chose Sodom,
He made a terrible bargain, a choice void of wisdom,
When we put God first, we make a choice of freedom,
Seek ye first God’s righteousness and His eternal kingdom.

Proverbs 3:5-6, the ultimate beat,
“Trust the Lord,” let the rhythm repeat,
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, don’t sway,”
He’ll direct your paths, He will make your day.

In every setback, a blessing in disguise,
James 1:12, a truth that lies.
“Blessed is the one who endures the test,
For afterward, He shall receive a crown, the very best.”

Love your foes, forgive the spite,
A losing game, yet pure and right.
Matthew 5 verse forty-four, a challenging feat,
“Love your enemies, pray for those who mistreat.”

Have you ever done an exam and filled in all the wrong answers but passed instead of failing? Sometimes righteous living may seem like one is failing, while one living a riotous life may look like they are succeeding.

Two people in the Bible were compelled to make a decision. It was like an exam of life choices. One filled in all the ‘right’ answers (according to the world’s marking scheme) but failed, while the other filled in the wrong answers but passed (because he followed God’s marking scheme). It seems outlandish, but it is something that occurred.

Abraham and Lot did an examination of life. Abraham failed but passed, while Lot passed but failed. How did Abraham manage to prevail over Lot? Because he did a righteous act backed up by a righteous motive, and Lot did an evil act backed up by a wrong motive.

Sometimes we tend to think that wicked people are the ones who succeed the most, but Ellen G. White writes in one of her books that it is only in appearance and not in reality that evil succeeds. God allowed the people building the tower of Babel to build it till it reached a certain height, but it failed before it was completed.

Abraham won over Lot by being humble and giving him the privilege to choose first. While we may think it is something that only happened in the Bible, it still occurs today. Countless people, including Christians, devise strategies to win but lose. The Bible says in Proverbs 11:27 (KJV) – “He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him.”

Genesis 13:5-17 (KJV) – “⁵ And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. ⁶ And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. ⁷ And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. ⁸ 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. ⁹ 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. ¹⁰ And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. ¹¹ Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. ¹² Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. ¹³ But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. ¹⁴ And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: ¹⁵ For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever. ¹⁶ And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. ¹⁷ Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.”

Lot had a winning strategy, while Abraham had a losing strategy. Lot lifted his eyes and looked at the plains of the Jordan and saw that it was well watered everywhere.

“Abraham was Lot’s senior in years, and his superior in relation, in wealth, and in position; yet he was the first to propose plans for preserving peace. Although the whole land had been given him by God Himself, he courteously waived this right.” – Patriarchs and Prophets, Page 132.1, Ellen G. White.

Abraham, who was called Abram at that time, was older than Lot, he was the uncle to Lot, and he was the one called by God, and Lot was accompanying him. Despite all these, Abraham allowed Lot to choose first. Abraham did not care much about his prosperity. He wanted the strife to end.

Matthew 6:25-26 (KJV) – “²⁵ Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? ²⁶ Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?”

Abraham did not give much thought to his life, so he allowed Lot to choose first. He was more interested in Lot’s success than his own. A very rare trait to see among human beings.

Philippians 2:3 (KJV) – “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”

Abraham esteemed Lot better than himself. Abraham had seen the beautiful plains of the Jordan probably before Lot saw them because he was the one who proposed to Lot to pick a side. Lot chose the best parts out of selfishness and left the worst for Abraham.

“Here the noble, unselfish spirit of Abraham was displayed. How many under similar circumstances would, at all hazards, cling to their individual rights and preferences! How many households have thus been rent asunder! How many churches have been divided, making the cause of truth a byword and a reproach among the wicked! “Let there be no strife between me and thee,” said Abraham, “for we be brethren,” not only by natural relationship, but as worshipers of the true God. The children of God the world over are one family, and the same spirit of love and conciliation should govern them. “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another” (Romans 12:10), is the teaching of our Saviour. The cultivation of a uniform courtesy, a willingness to do to others as we would wish them to do to us, would annihilate half the ills of life. The spirit of self-aggrandizement is the spirit of Satan; but the heart in which the love of Christ is cherished, will possess that charity which seeketh not her own. Such will heed the divine injunction, “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” Philippians 2:4.”- Patriarchs and Prophets, Page 132.3, Ellen G. White.

“Although Lot owed his prosperity to his connection with Abraham, he manifested no gratitude to his benefactor. Courtesy would have dictated that he yield the choice to Abraham, but instead of this he selfishly endeavoured to grasp all its advantages. He “lifted his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, … even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.” The most fertile region in all Palestine was the Jordan Valley, reminding the beholders of the lost Paradise and equaling the beauty and productiveness of the Nile-enriched plains they had so lately left. There were cities also, wealthy and beautiful, inviting to profitable traffic in their crowded marts. Dazzled with visions of worldly gain, Lot overlooked the moral and spiritual evils that would be encountered there. The inhabitants of the plain were “sinners before the Lord exceedingly;” but of this he was ignorant, or, knowing, gave it but little weight. He “chose him all the plain of Jordan,” and “pitched his tent toward Sodom.” How little did he foresee the terrible results of that selfish choice!”- Patriarchs and Prophets, Page 133.1, Ellen G. White.

Unfortunately, what looked good in the eyes of Lot was not good. That is why God tells us to trust in Him and not lean on our understanding (Proverbs 3:5). The Bible records that the men of Sodom were sinners before the Lord exceedingly (Genesis 13:13).

Dwelling in a place which is full of extreme sinners no matter how fertile the area seems, gives one no peace. You may be living in a high-end estate full of clubs and bars and cannot sleep because of too much noise. One may be living in a country or city that is highly developed, but there is high insecurity because there is no respect for the rule of law.

Some schools are high-end with the best facilities but full of negative influence. Therefore if your child is not firmly rooted in Christ, he comes out of them worse than he was when he entered.

Genesis 13:10 (KJV) – ^“And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.” God eventually destroyed the place that Lot had chosen with all his possessions, but He did not destroy the location that Abraham had chosen. Lot decreased in possessions (Genesis 19) while Abraham increased (Genesis 24:1).

In this universe, there are four main points in a compass, north, south, east and west. In Genesis 13:14, God told Abraham to look north, south, east and west. In other words, God told Abraham to look everywhere. He promised Abraham that He would give him all the land he saw.

Abraham might have thought he had lost, but God gave him everything, including what was Lot’s. Lot had chosen the best parts because he wanted to increase, but his selfish ambition resulted in him losing than winning.

God created all the laws of nature, but unfortunately, many trust in the laws of nature more than they trust in God. He ordained laws for the growth of plants, such as planting on fertile soil and watering. Like most human beings, Lot saw how the plains of Jordan were fertile and chose them because they provided the best environment for crops to grow. Abraham also understood that. However, instead of trusting in the laws of nature, he trusted in God, the Creator of all nature. God has ordained that man should work so that he can be able to earn a living and acquire basic needs. The same God who said that commanded us to work for only six days and rest on the Seventh (Exodus 20:8-11).

Some people have formed a winning strategy to work for seven days to earn more. Unfortunately, they end up losing more than they have made. Pastor Mark Finley gave an example of how his father could not get a job after being convicted about the Sabbath and deciding not to work on Saturday. For a moment, Mark’s dad seemed to have lost.

After being rejected by several companies because of his beliefs, Mark’s father was later hired by a Jewish company because the Jews believe in keeping the seventh day Sabbath. He greatly prospered and left the company to open his own company doing the same service as the Jewish company. His company succeeded than the Jewish company, and eventually, they ended up buying the Jewish company. The strategy that Mark Finley’s father used was a losing but winning strategy.

In Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives us certain principles of living successfully. Principles that seem absurd to many and are barely practiced by Christians today.

Most of us see them as not making sense because we have put our senses above our faith instead of our faith above our senses. On the mountain, Jesus was addressing His disciples (His followers). In other words, He was addressing people who are already converted. Such principles are not possible with our carnal nature. It needs a person who is fully converted to execute them.

Some of those principles are:

Matthew 5:38-39 (KJV) – “³⁸ Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: ³⁹ But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

The Bible says this because somebody who does intentional evil to you usually thinks they have won. Satan thought he had won by succeeding in making Adam and Eve fall into temptation. Jesus being God by His humility, came into this world not only as a human being (created being) but also identified with the lowest human beings.

Jesus was born in a manger, and the offering His parents gave was the offering of the poorest people. They could not afford a lamb. Instead, they offered two turtle doves. Nevertheless, Jesus was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:8). He was tortured and killed but resurrected on the third day and ascended to heaven. He ended up victorious because he used a losing but winning strategy.

Matthew 5:40-41 (KJV) – “⁴⁰ And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. ⁴¹ And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.”

If someone forcefully or deceitfully takes away something for you, he does that with the motive of him winning while you lose. Such people are practicing a winning but losing strategy. A strategy that is perpetrated by Satan. Those reading this who are experienced in life will tell you that whenever they faced such situations, they thought they had lost, but God blessed them with more.

Those who thought they had won had less than they had initially. The thieves and robbers in prison today once had freedom. Some of them might have been poor materially, but they had freedom. However, greed and selfishness made them steal so that they could acquire more than what they had. They stole for some time (it might have been a few days or many years). When the law caught up with them, they lost all the material possessions they had stolen, all that they had not stolen and their freedom (which they originally had).

Sin only results in losses, while righteousness results in profits. The Bible also tells us that whosoever shall compel us to go a mile with them, instead of hesitating and arguing, we should go with them two miles. When we do that, we will leave many speechless.

You may go two miles with a person who has asked you to walk a mile with him, then you end up hearing something new that will benefit you, or you end up acquiring a new idea or a special blessing from God. You may even learn a spiritual lesson that you had never learned through interaction with the natural world. Righteousness always pays. It pays in different ways, not one static way or one specific thing.

Luke 6:30 (KJV) – “Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.” As a child of God, someone who steals from you is blessing you in disguise. People have various ways of stealing from you.

Some will come in the form of borrowing money or something and not returning. In comparison, others will come in the form of using your services or buying your products and not paying for them. Sometimes such people do that not because they don’t have money but because they have kept selfishness above you and your friendship/relationship with them. Such people have a winning strategy which eventually ends up in them losing.

If you look at most of them, if not all of them, they don’t end up succeeding much as you thought they would. When you encounter such people, don’t despair; instead, be happy and rejoice because they give you blessings in disguise. And if you are such a person, repent and give Caesar what belongs to Caesar.

When Zacchaeus was convicted of his wrongdoing, he returned fourfold to whoever he had taken from using falsehood (conning) and gave half of his goods to the poor. That is true repentance. Others have made it a habit always to borrow even when they don’t have an urgent need. Some do this maliciously so that you lose while they gain.

Some people have made themselves to be constant recipients, but they never give. There is a reason why God made rivers and other water bodies to have inlets and outlets. While you receive, give, don’t stack up everything and fail to give, attempting to make yourself rich. Some have done that, and while they piled so much, something arose that caused them to lose all their money. God is telling you to give to whosoever borrows from you according to your capacity. When you give, you may think you have lost, but you have won.

Matthew 5:43-44 (KJV) – “⁴³ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy. ⁴⁴ But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;.”

Doing good to those who do wrong to you may seem like you are losing. However, repaying good for evil is a losing but winning strategy. If you do that, someone may see a difference in you and get converted because you cannot answer hate with hate; you need to answer hate with love.

You cannot exchange pride with pride; you need to exchange pride with humility. Living like that is not easy by our sinful human nature. We need to ask God to give us the grace to do that. The grace to act by what God’s Word says and not by our own emotions. Actions that are done through emotions, especially negative emotions, always result in loss, but actions that follow the instructions of the Bible will always make us win, even when we seem to have lost.

GOD BLESS YOU!

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we embark on life’s journey, we seek Your guidance and wisdom. Grant us the strength to embrace the losing but winning strategy that Your Word teaches us. Help us to see beyond the superficial victories of the world and to trust in Your divine plan. May Your grace empower us to love our enemies, to do good to those who harm us, and to walk in humility, just as Your Son, Jesus Christ, exemplified.

Lord, as we face life’s exams and make choices, may we be filled with discernment to choose righteousness over worldly success. Grant us the courage to follow Your marking scheme, even when it seems unconventional to the world. Let our actions be aligned with Your Word, and may we find true success in pleasing You.

In Jesus’ name, we pray.

Amen.

Activity

Take a moment for personal reflection on the principles discussed in this article. Consider situations in your life where you can apply the losing but winning strategy mentioned in the Scriptures. Identify areas where you might be tempted to prioritize worldly success over righteous living.

Humility and Sacrifice:

• Is there a situation in your life where you can practice humility and sacrificial love, similar to Abraham letting Lot choose first? How can you put the interests of others before your own?

Dealing with Adversity:

• Think about a recent challenge or adversity you faced. Could adopting a losing but winning strategy, such as repaying good for evil or turning the other cheek, positively impact the situation?

Trust in God’s Ways:

• Consider areas where you might be leaning on your understanding rather than trusting God’s ways. How can you align your actions with biblical principles, even if it seems counterintuitive from a worldly perspective?

Giving and Forgiving:

• Reflect on instances someone may have taken from you, materially or emotionally. How can you apply the principle of giving without expecting anything in return? Are there relationships where forgiveness and love should be extended?

Remember, victories in life often come from living according to God’s principles, even when it may seem like a losing strategy in the eyes of the world. Trust in God’s promises and strive for righteousness in every aspect of your life.

Author: Mark Alex   

Email: gettruthgetlife@gmail.com 

Phone Number: +254710633247   

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