The following two statements are true:

Possessions are a blessing from God. Possessions are a burden to manage.

Abraham and his nephew Lot had made a community together. Their families, livestock, and workers lived side by side. And God blessed them.

He blessed them so much that their blessings became a burden to manage. Worker arguments began to erupt as they competed over food and water for their animals. And then: “Their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together” (Genesis 13:6).

If God has blessed you with many possessions, you know the burden that Abraham and Lot were carrying. They were trying to maintain their relationship while also maintaining their empires. In the end, they had to part ways because no space was big enough for them both. Even if God hasn’t blessed you with a surplus, you know the competition that can erupt when someone else’s stuff crosses your side of the fence. 

Whether God has blessed you with much or with little, he has created a space big enough where all can come together and be one in full cooperation without any competition. He calls this his church. It’s where the message of sin shows how all stand condemned before God. And it’s where the message of grace shows how that condemnation was placed on Jesus instead of us.

Set aside the competition today. Reach out in cooperation to help a fellow soul for whom Jesus died.