Broadly speaking, we look at the world in two ways: by sight and by faith. Looking by sight is viewing the world around us in an unspiritual way–the way most of the world looks at things. So we make decisions based on what makes us most comfortable, what’s the easiest, what will bring the most immediate and greatest pleasures, etc.
Looking by faith is looking at the world through a spiritual lens. We look beneath the surface to the true essence of things–the way they really are. We look beyond the temporal to the eternal, beyond the mere physical to the spiritual.
Our text gives a clear example of both: Abraham trusted God, so he was willing to give Lot first choice on which land to inhabit. When you live by faith, you become open to risk . . . you know God controls the future.
Lot, on the other hand, looked around him and saw what everybody could see: the land to the east was well-watered and prosperous and offered him the greatest chance of living the good life with prosperity and success.
Which kind of life are we called to live? Which approach offers the greatest hope?
We’ll consider this story and those questions on Sunday.