We need to be fully persuaded like Abraham was before our faith will produce results in our lives. Even though it took Abraham 25 years to become fully persuaded, he made several faith mistakes which postponed his timeline.

If we learn from his mistakes and avoid them, we can more quickly receive the blessings of God. One of the mistakes Abraham made was to not properly manage his relationship with the world. We find this first faith-mistake listed in Genesis 12:1-3:

Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Then in verse four we're told, "So Abram departed." Most of us are fairly impressed by that. And we should be. After all, God said "Go!" and Abraham jumped up and went.

Leaving Ur With Lot
Ur of the Chaldees was one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world at that time. The Word tells us that Abraham was a rich man. So, it wasn't any small thing for him to pack up and leave.

However, Abraham's obedience was not as complete as you might think. Just like you and me, he was prone to make mistakes. And right at the start here, he makes a significant one.

God's specific command to Abraham was to "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred." Abraham only obeyed half of that order. He left Ur, but brought his ungodly nephew Lot along with him!

It was Abraham's first recorded act of disobedience.

Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not implying that following the call of God necessarily means leaving your family behind. God frequently uses entire families in a mighty way.

Lot, in this case however, represented the old way of life in Ur of the Chaldees - a way of life that Abraham had been directed to leave behind. Lot was not a spiritual man and was still very much tied to the pagan ways of doing things.

For instance, when Lot and Abraham decided to part company, Lot was attracted to depraved Sodom. The Bible says Lot "pitched his tent toward Sodom." It wasn't long before he had pitched his tent in Sodom. Ultimately, God (because of Abraham's intercession) had to send a couple of angels to drag him out.

Lot represents an unhealthy love of the things of the world. His presence complicated life for Abraham and his family for many generations.

We Need to Sever Worldly Ties
First, there was strife between Abraham's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen. Then, Abraham had to rescue Lot when he was captured by a warring king. Later, Abraham had to bail him out of Sodom before judgment fell.

Later still, Lot's daughters decided that if they were going to have any offspring they were going to have to get their father drunk and seduce him. One of the results of that scheme was a child named Moab. As you may remember, the Moabites gave the Jews a terrible time for centuries - all as a result of one seemingly harmless act of disobedience.

The lesson for us is a simple one. When we are responding to the call of God, it is vital that we sever relationships with people who are still hooked into the world's way of doing things.

Regardless of whether they call themselves Christians or not, if they're in love with the world like Lot was, such relationships will keep us from becoming fully persuaded.

In 2 Corinthians 6:14, God tells us not to be unequally yoked with those who live in darkness. Obey that command and you'll avoid unnecessary delays in receiving the promises of God.

Source: Real Faith Never Fails by Mac Hammond
Excerpt permission granted by Mac Hammond Ministries