by Brian Skyz
Abraham is one of the greatest patriarchs in the Bible who ever lived. He’s commonly known as the “father of faith” due to the immense faith he possessed in God. His story lies in the book of Genesis 12-25. The following are some of the life giving lessons a Christian can learn from the life of Abraham:
Faith
Abraham’s act of faith is shown at the very instant he chooses to leave his homeland for the land God said he would show him. God tells him to abandon his country, his people, and his father’s household. Abraham does not interrogate God further but sets off for the journey of the unknown destination. Christians learn to emulate the kind of faith Abraham had in their journey to heaven.
Obedience
Abraham’s heeding to God’s call without any objections was a sign of total obedience to the almighty. As soon as he receives the news, Abraham does as he is required of by the Lord by setting off for the journey. Christians today must learn and take up to this virtue of obedience to God when he calls upon us to do something.
Embodiment of God’s fulfillment of his promises
Christians learn from Abraham that God never fails to deliver the promises he makes to us no matter the period of time it will take before the execution of the promises. God’s promise of uncountable descendants to Abraham is fulfilled through Isaac’s lineage. As a matter of fact, we all are his descendants.
Hospitality
We learn of Abraham’s hospitality at that instant when he was visited by three men who apparently turned out to be God’s messengers. Immediately Abraham spots them, he invites them to his home, washes their feet, asks Sarah to bake bread as his servant prepares a tender calf for the Lord’s men. Christians should learn to be hospitable to the members of the community, those that we know and those that we know not too.
Praying for others
Abraham showed this by praying for Sodom and Gomorrah on many occasions. He pleaded with the Lord not to kill the righteous with the wicked. As Christians we should include others in our prayers, so that the evildoers may see the light too.
Care
As Christians, we should learn to be caring for the people around us. When Abraham learns of Lot’s capture in a raid, he calls upon 318 trained men and, they rescue Lot together with his possession.
Appreciation
Abraham’s readiness to offer Isaac as a sacrifice was not only a sign of faith but also a sign of appreciation to God by readiness to give back to God as he had blessed him. Christians today are required to give back just a tenth of their belongings back to God to aid in the missionary work.
Prioritizing God
Abraham made God his first priority before he did anything. He always ensured that whatever he did was pleasing in the eyes of the Lord. As Christians, we should take up to this too as it pleases God greatly.
Actions go hand in hand with faith
When god tested Abraham’s faith by asking him to sacrifice his son, he wanted to see if his actions too demonstrated the faith he had in the Lord. Christians should learn that faith without actions is dead and should therefore be ready to embed their faith in their actions.
The Lord is to be worshipped
Abraham worshipped God by constructing several alters for the Lord. Whenever Abraham paused temporarily in his pastoralist life, he constructed an altar there as a sign of worship. Christians today must learn that the Lord is to be worshipped in both good and bad times.
