“But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” Genesis 19:26 NIV
“But Lot’s wife looked back…”, we don’t have to know anymore facts to understand what the problem is. Five small words pack a hard punch. Here is the rest of the story. God had just destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities. God has sent angels to tell Lot and his family to get out of dodge, make sure they don’t look back. His wife, whose name is never known in the Bible, looked back. The rest is history.
We can suffer the same consequence as Lot’s wife, we just don’t know it. I met a lady years ago who was very angry with God. Her marriage had failed, she blamed God. She had done everything “the right way,” maintained her purity until their wedding night. Why did her marriage fail then? In her mind, that one act of obedience, staying pure, should have guaranteed her a perfect marriage. But it didn’t, because perfect marriages don’t exist. The saddest part, the divorce was almost 2 decades old, but she was still stuck in the past. In essence, her life had become a pillar of salt because she was more focused on the past than today. Avoid the salt, stay focused on today.
Avoid the salt, stay focused on today.
Everyone has a past. Everyone has been hurt. Everyone has an injustice that must be made right. Everyone has a story. We can’t let the past hurts and injustices stop us from continuing our story. The tension we live in between focusing on the past, staying present in the moment, and dreaming about the future is real. If we get too focused on the past or the future, we have allowed salt into our lives. We are missing out on the moment. We’re stuck. We have become, like Lot’s wife, a pillar of salt.
But there is hope, there is Jesus. He is the One who can help get you moving again. He is the One who’s love and mercy can heal a broken heart. He is the one that gives you hope and a future. He is the One who helps you forgive. He is the One that calls you to trust Him, believe in Him, love Him. He is the One.
A pastor friend of mine taught me this saying, “Keep the Son in your eyes.” I use it often to refocus my thoughts when I’m not in the present. When we keep Jesus front and center, we won’t have time to look back. When we follow Jesus closely, when we keep the Son squarely in our eyes, we will live in the moment. We will seize the day with all we have. We will avoid the salt.
Question of the Day:
Where is your focus; past, present or future?
Further Reading: Genesis 18:16-19:38 NIV, Matthew 6:25-7:14 NIV, Psalm 8:1-9 NIV, Proverbs 2:6-15 NIV
