Genesis 25:1-6
Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines  and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east. (Genesis 25:5-6, NIV).

mong the virtues, values and qualities that are lacking in the church today are wisdom and tact. Sometimes we have the word, but we lack the wisdom and the tact to make it work for our good or apply the knowledge that we have appropriately.

Abraham, however, demonstrated these virtues in dealing with his family situation as he grew older. With foresight, he sensed what could happen and took necessary action.

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines tact as “a keen sense of what to do or say to maintain good relations with others or avoid offense. It also means to have a sensitive mental or aesthetic perception”. Wow! I love that!

Knowing that God has promised to continue the promise and establish the covenant through Isaac, Abraham ensured that all his other children were taken care of. He gave them gifts and sent them away from his son, Isaac. He did it to forestall any future problems.To be tactful means having or showing tact. A simple definition of wisdom is “ability to discern inner qualities and relationships”. It also means having insight or good sense.

We need to pray for these virtues. How many family situations have we allowed to escalate into big strife and enmity because we lack the tact to manage the situation well? How about our office and church relationships? Let us pray.

Your Turn

• Ask the Lord to fill you with wisdom and tact to deal with your life and daily affairs.
• Pray that you will be a peacemaker.

Hymn: There’s within my heart a melody.

Further Reading: Matthew 5: 1-12.