What's Important When You Move?

What's Really Important When You Decide to Move? The Bible records a story about Abraham and Lot that has to do with moving from one place to another: Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 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. And quarreling arose between Abram's herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time. So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers.

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." Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east.

The two men parted company: Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD. The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. Genesis 13:5-15 (NIV).

When people decide to make a move they usually ask questions like: "Where are the jobs? Where can I make the most money? What kind of house can I afford if I live there? What employment opportunities are available for me?" Those are basically economic questions. Those questions were the questions that Lot asked. The questions that we often neglect to ask are: "Where can I be the most benefit for the kingdom of God? Where will I find spiritual fellowship with other Christians? What church will I go to? Where will my kids go to school?" In the scheme of life these are the more important questions. Lot's thinking was purely materialistic. His decision had devastating effects on him and his family.

Genesis 13:12 says that Lot "pitched his tents near Sodom." But in the next chapter we find that Lot was now "living in Sodom" (Genesis 14:12). Lot lived in Sodom and Sodom began to live in Lot. When the angels came to destroy Sodom, they found Lot "sitting in the gate of the city," which means that he had become a part of Sodom's ruling government (19:1). As the story progresses we discover that Lot's choices have placed his family in physical jeopardy.

He has even come to the point where he is willing to offer his daughters to homosexual men (19:8). Lot has radically changed from the godly man who used to walk with Abraham to a man content with life in Sodom. Though he knows Sodom is about to be destroyed, Lot is actually undecided about leaving this wicked city (19:16). How had Lot's decision affected his family? His wife is hesitant to depart and as a result gets caught in the destruction (19:26). His daughters have learned well from the influence of Sodom.

They get their father drunk and commit incest with him (19:30-38). It's a pathetic scene. How did things get so bad? Lot made a bad decision on where to move based on the wrong questions. Are you asking the right questions? If you are thinking about a move, think from Abraham's perspective, not Lot's. If you are going to move, I often tell people to look for a church first and look for a house second.

Those who have taken that advice are seldom disappointed, because God honors right priorities. Other pages: How to Pick a Church The Necessity of Committing to a Local Church Ancient Rules for Modern Day Business Working for an Impossible Boss Career/Job Page