Benjamin Franklin, speaking in 1787 before the Continental Congress said there were two passions which had the most powerful influence over men; ambition and avarice.
“[T]here are two passions which have a powerful influence in the affairs of men. These are ambition and avarice—the love of power and the love of money. Separately, each of these has great force in prompting men to action; but, when united in view of the same object, they have, in many minds, the most violent effects. Place before the eyes of such men a post of honor, that shall, at the same time, be a place of profit, and they will move heaven and earth to obtain it.”
Franklin was speaking from experience with the British government in which men spent their lives in pursuit of power and money.
Mankind has been struggling with the twin demons of the love of power and the love of money throughout our history. Beginning in Genesis 13 we see what happened to Abraham’s nephew, Lot, who spent much of his life in the pursuit of power and money and, in the end, lost it all. Lot’s story provides lessons for all of us today.
The Seeds of Ambition and Avarice
Abraham was a man of God. Lot was his nephew. Abraham had become a wealthy, powerful man because he obeyed God and was blessed by God. Lot, who traveled with his uncle, had also become wealthy.
I’m guessing here, but I suspect Lot envied his uncle’s position of power and his relationship with God.
When they arrived in the land of Canaan, Lot’s people argued with Abraham’s people over the care of their herds. To avoid quarreling between the families, Abraham suggested they separate and gave his nephew first choice over the land. Rather than deferring to his uncle, Lot looked at the land and selfishly selected the best portion of the Jordan Valley for himself.
Lot moved his herds and settled in the city of Sodom, despite the fact that Sodom was well known for their sins against God.
Sodom was attacked by neighboring kings and Lot, and all his possessions were carried off. When Abraham heard about it, he rallied his men and rescued Lot and all of his possessions. Rather than moving, Lot settled right back where he had been in Sodom.
The sins of Sodom and Gomorrah were so evil the Lord decided to bring judgment upon them. God sent two angels to Sodom who met Lot sitting in a place of honor at the city gates. Lot invited the angels to stay with him, and the angels warned Lot of God’s plan to destroy the city the next day.
Lot went through the city to warn his sons-in-law and daughters of the impending judgment of God, but the sons-in-law did not believe him. The next day the angels escorted Lot, his wife, and his two daughters out of the city. When they were away from the city, God reigned down judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah destroying them both.
Lot escaped the city with the clothes on his back and lost everything else. His wife was dead. His daughter’s husbands died in the city. All the wealth and all the power were gone in a single day. He lived out his days hiding in a cave in the mountains.
Lessons for Us
Lot’s slide into a worldly life driven by ambition and avarice apart from God occurred over time:
- Lot separated himself from God. Lot allowed strife to separate him from his godly uncle, Abraham. Rather than seeking God’s wisdom or deferring to his uncle, Lot separated himself from the one godly influence in his life.
- Lot allowed selfish desires to control his choices. Lot looked around and selfishly chose the best land for himself. He wanted more wealth for himself, and he needed the best land to obtain it.
- Lot rejected his second chance. Even after Lot was taken captive and nearly lost everything, only to be rescued by his uncle, he stubbornly resumed his quest for power and wealth by settling back in Sodom.
- Lot chose to live surrounded by sin. Lot knowingly chose to live in a sinful city because it allowed him a place of honor at the city gates. He allowed his daughters to marry men who did not know or believe in God.
- Lot never turned to God. Despite the warnings of the judgment of God from the angels, Lot never turned to God to repent of his actions.
On the plus side,
- Lot believed the angels. He tried to convince his son-in-law of the impending judgment, but they didn’t believe him.
- Lot obeyed the angels. When the angels said it was time to go or face God’s wrath, Lot hesitated but followed the angels out of the city.
Franklin Was Right
Mr. Franklin was right, wasn’t he? Ambition and avarice, the love of power and money, cause us to make some really bad decisions.
It is so easy to allow the quest for power and money to separate us from God. We make selfish decisions. We even ignore warnings from God and reject our second chances thinking we are on the path to power and money we so richly deserve. We even put ourselves in sinful situations and justify what we are doing. Sadly, and all too often, we fail to see the signs of God’s impending judgment until it is too late. We lose it all. All the worldly wealth and power is gone in the blink of an eye.
Don’t miss this one point. When Lot hesitated in leaving Sodom, God held back the destruction of Sodom because he cared for Lot. Despite all of Lot’s poor decisions over a period of years, God still cared so much for him that he waited for Lot to get away safely.
Yes, Lot suffered the loss of all the worldly possessions, his power, and prestige, but he never stopped being a child of God. Neither do we!
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. Do you know men or women like Lot, whose love of power and money caused them to make poor decisions? What happened in their lives as a result?
Category: Personal Development | Character
Yes, I have known selfish people. Egocentric and unethical. They’re never happy. Conversely, I’ve met some wonderful people that would give you the shirt off their back. The new Tim McGraw song “Humble and Kind” really sums up the best philosophy on how to live. Thanks, Ron!
John,
Love Tim McGraw – I need to check out this song!