From the Beginning: A Devotional Commentary on Genesis (VII)

There's this story in Genesis 14, where Abram rescues his nephew Lot from the hands of a king named Amraphel, and three other kings allied to him, who had taken Lot captive in battle (it's a long story). In the process of rescuing Lot, however, Abram ends up helping out the King of Sodom, who was Amraphel's sworn enemy. To thank him, the King of Sodom graciously offers to let Abram take all the spoils from the battle he's just won. Surprisingly, Abram won't take a cent. Why? Because he doesn't ever want it to be said that Sodom (or any other earthly king) made him rich. Instead, he wants those bragging rights ("I made Abram prosperous") to go to God and God alone.

It gets me thinking: am I living my life, conducting my business, doing my ministry, and so on, in such a way that it's clear, or would be, to anyone who took the time to "look at the books" (so to speak), that all I am and all I have I owe to God and no one else. There is a way to live, do business, do ministry, even, that relies on "the way of the world" for its prosperity, and there's a way that waits patiently and depends entirely on the Lord. Abram took the later. May we all have the grace to follow his example.