Don't Look Back

A coworker had a sign in their room that said, "Never look back unless you want to see how far you've come." I was looking at it and thought about looking back. There's not much in my life that I would do differently. I can see where God has been in my decisions.

Right after I became a teacher, a second career later in life, my parents moved from their home of 40 years. While cleaning out the attic, I found my art portfolio from high school. Inside was a letter written my senior year applying for a scholarship. In the letter, I listed my long-term goals. I wanted to work in marketing and advertising, giving local artists a place to work in Alabama so they didn't have to leave Alabama to reach their dreams. Next, I wanted to get my teaching certification and teach art when I retired. I had forgotten about this letter completely. God had not. For 14 years, I oversaw art departments in advertising and marketing companies. I had "retired" and become a teacher, an art teacher. God had seen to it that I had reached my goals. I've looked back and been happy I chose my paths and avoided others.

As humans, we all question the choices we make. We need to look forward and avoid the desire to look back and ask, "What if?" We have yet to invent time travel, so it doesn't do any good to question our past. Our past has passed. God doesn't look back. Why should we?

In Genesis 19:26, Lot's wife looks back toward the evil they were leaving and turns to a pillar of salt. Why? Did she regret leaving? Was she afraid of being followed? We don't know why, just that she did. Tradition tells us she was looking back at her worldly life.

She and Lot had moved to Sodom, a land of evil. Abraham went to get Lot, and while looking, to find just ten righteous men in all the land; there was only Lot. I'm sure Lot regretted his move. But God allowed him to leave with his family. Lot moved forward, but his wife looked back. After escaping the destruction, his daughters did not let go of that life but continued their evil lifestyle. They looked back but not to see how far they had come. They never really left. They looked back to their sinful lives and moved forward to more sin. And their sin brought forth two nations to oppose Israel, the Amorites, and Moabites, two wicked nations.

I'm reminded of addiction when I think of these two sisters. God brought them out of their strife, but they immediately fell back into their old ways. They were born into a righteous family, but Lot took his family to live in a worldly society. These sisters grew up and married men from this society. Their husbands laughed and made fun of Lot when he tried to get them to leave. I worked with students who thought they could do drugs, drink, vape, and break the law. It won't hurt them. The citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah thought the same. We're not hurting anyone. Why should we behave differently?

In 2 Timothy, Peter speaks of people being lovers of self, money, boastful, proud, demeaning, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love of what is good, traitors, reckless, arrogant, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Even though Lot and his family lived during the early days of the Bible and Paul lived after the Coming of Christ and the resurrection, the world was the same - EVIL.

Lot was like some of my friends' children. Raised in a Godly home with Godly role models, Terah and Abram, soon to be Abraham, the Father of Israel, Lot still left to go to the world. Like the Prodigal Son from Luke 15:11-32, Lot left his raising and went into the world. And like the Prodigal, he returned.

The Bible does not specify, but from what I read, it seems that Lot was not married when he went to Sodom. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:14 that believers should not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. He says they are lawless and have fellowship with darkness. Understand, I'm not saying all non-believers are satanic and evil. Paul says that as a Christian, it is better if both the husband and wife are believers. Lot's wife wasn't a believer. She turned back to her home, her family, and her friends as God was raining down judgment.

Lot and his wife raised their daughters outside of God's law. Immediately they turn back to their evil ways. Lot raised his daughters in Sodom, and they married men from Sodom. The Bible tells us Lot went to his sons-in-law to get them to accompany them. The sons laughed and made fun of him, thinking he was joking with them. I can't help but think how much this sounds like our world today. Non-believers do not understand why believers go to church and worship God. Many don't believe that Hell exists. What do we do?

Love. Love as Christ loved. Love thy neighbor like yourself. Pray. Pray for the lost, that they may see. And praise the Lord for all your blessings.

Love, Pray, Praise. And DON'T LOOK BACK.