The salt of the earth or a column of salt: choose wisely
Reading the story of Lot’s wife reminded me of the importance of not loving the ways of the world and embracing the love of God. In the story, God had warned Lot and his family of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. He commanded them to leave the city; but they were not to look back as they fled the city. Of course, we all know that Lot’s wife disobeyed God’s command and looked back at the dangerous city. In her disobedience, she was turned into a pillar of salt. In my youth, I often wondered why Lot’s wife suffered such a severe punishment for such a small incident. After all, she was only human and her curiosity got the better of her. Why didn’t she heed God’s warning? Why did she look back? There are so many lessons to be learned in the story of Lot’s wife; but, the first lesson that came to my mind was the importance of having love for Jesus Christ and not becoming a lover of the world.
I can imagine that Lot’s wife was leaving a prestigious life. She probably had the best clothes, shoes, jewelry and perfumes to adorn her body. She lived in a beautiful house and was probably a prominent figure in her community. Since Lot was a wealthy and influential man, I can imagine that she lived a life of comfort and luxury. Lot’s wife also left family and friends behind in Sodom. Remember, she had two daughters and two sons-in-law, what a thing to stay on earth. Could these be some of the reasons she looked back? Emotions about our families, friends, and material gains can cloud or influence our decision to trust God with the direction of our lives. Although we are tried and tested in our obedience to God daily; family, friends and wealth will definitely expose our heart loyalties. One of the greatest acts of faith in God is to trust in his mercy, grace, and judgment regarding our friends, family, and wealth (1 Peter 2:11-12). Sometimes going out of the world will cause us to leave our family, friends, and wealth behind. Jesus must be the first in our lives.
We must never lose sight of God’s authority and sovereignty over the universe. Our heavenly Father is the source of our very being and everything else in this world is just a resource. If we stay connected to the source, we have access to all the resources of this world according to the grace of God. In other words, our families, friends, and wealth should never take precedence over our love and obedience to God. We cannot ignore injustice towards our friends and family out of love for them; but they denounce the love of God by not being obedient to Him. It can be difficult to defend righteousness regarding our families, friends, and wealth; but this is what the children of God are expected to do with regard to his commandments. The Enemy’s greatest trick is to make our eyes focus on the things of the world and not on Jesus Christ. Why did Lot’s wife receive such a severe judgment when she looked back at Sodom? I think God wanted us to know that he takes disobedience of his commandments seriously. We need to understand that God loves us; but there must be an atonement for sin in our lives. If we are the salt of the earth, we must be the solution to a dying world (Matthew 5:13). If we want to embrace or focus on the things of the world, we are part of the problem; therefore, we need to perish with the world. That was what happened to Lot’s wife. Her heart (ideas, intentions, emotions, mind) was still in Sodom and was not centered on God. So that’s where God decided she should stay.
God expects us to have a renewed mind to serve him and live according to his will (Romans 12:2). It is impossible to please God halfway. We cannot live for Him part of the time and live for the world the rest of the time. The story of Lot’s wife is a reminder of the importance of being committed to serving a loving God; and not compromise with a dying world. God is committed to loving us; but he will never tolerate sin. If we live for the treasures of this world, we will perish with this world. While we were still sinners, God committed himself to us by sending his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ (who was blameless) to die for our sins. We must exemplify the same commitment to live a life for his glory. Live for Christ today and you will live with Him forever.