“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.”
Genesis 13:9 (NIV)
Have you ever found yourself in a strained relationship? Perhaps it was a situation where tensions were high. James 3:16 reminds us that where there is contention, there is potential for harm. In such instances, separation is preferable to enmity.
In Abram’s case, there was strife between his herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen. The issue was further exacerbated by the presence of Canaanites and Perizzites, thus limiting pasturage. Abram saw tensions rising and knew it would just be a matter of time before the herdsmen’s strife would culminate in contention between Lot and himself; “Then Abram said to Lot, ‘Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen.’” In essence, Abram took action to prevent a family feud.
Are you facing a similar situation? Is someone impinging on your personal and family life? Are they holding you back? Is he or she keeping you from growing emotionally and spiritually? Are they feeding your insecurities? If so, you might need to part company for a while. You can’t change people, but you can distance yourself for a season. That doesn’t mean you no longer care about them or want what’s best for them. (Seek godly counsel if the problem is within your marriage).
I recently found myself in a situation where I had to make the difficult choice to part ways with someone. Though painful, staying would have been detrimental to my emotional and spiritual well-being. I prayed about the situation and fought it, but eventually, I had to walk away.
In order to step into the fullness of God’s plan for your life, you may need to remove yourself from whatever is sapping you of your joy. Sometimes, the only way to move forward is to walk away.