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

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.

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。

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

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。

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” (Genesis13:7). 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).

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）。

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.

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。

Dear heavenly Father,

We are prone to look out for ourselves. 

Give us wisdom to know when giving up our rights would best demonstrate Your love and grace to other people.

亲爱的天父，

我们常常在意自己的权益。

求祢让我们知道，何时该放弃权益，好让人看见祢的慈爱与宽容。

Genesis 13 New International Version

13 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. 3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord. 5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 7 And quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time. 8 So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.” 10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord. 14 The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.” 18 So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord.

创世记 13 

13 亚伯兰带着他的妻子与罗得并一切所有的，都从埃及上南地去。2 亚伯兰的金银、牲畜极多。3 他从南地渐渐往伯特利去，到了伯特利和艾的中间，就是从前支搭帐篷的地方，4 也是他起先筑坛的地方，他又在那里求告耶和华的名。5 与亚伯兰同行的罗得也有牛群、羊群、帐篷。6 那地容不下他们，因为他们的财物甚多，使他们不能同居。7 当时，迦南人与比利洗人在那地居住。亚伯兰的牧人和罗得的牧人相争。8 亚伯兰就对罗得说：“你我不可相争，你的牧人和我的牧人也不可相争，因为我们是骨肉。9 遍地不都在你眼前吗？请你离开我。你向左，我就向右；你向右，我就向左。” 10 罗得举目，看见约旦河的全平原，直到琐珥，都是滋润的。那地在耶和华未灭所多玛、蛾摩拉以先如同耶和华的园子，也像埃及地。11 于是罗得选择约旦河的全平原，往东迁移。他们就彼此分离了。12 亚伯兰住在迦南地，罗得住在平原的城邑，渐渐挪移帐篷，直到所多玛。13 所多玛人在耶和华面前罪大恶极。14 罗得离别亚伯兰以后，耶和华对亚伯兰说：“从你所在的地方，你举目向东西南北观看， 15 凡你所看见的一切地，我都要赐给你和你的后裔，直到永远。16 我也要使你的后裔如同地上的尘沙那样多，人若能数算地上的尘沙，才能数算你的后裔。17 你起来，纵横走遍这地，因为我必把这地赐给你。”18 亚伯兰就搬了帐篷，来到希伯仑幔利的橡树那里居住，在那里为耶和华筑了一座坛。

整理：于姊妹