ON LOT'S WIFE AND THE ATTACHMENTS TO THIS WORLD
With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.”
When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”
(Genesis 19:15-17)
Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
(Genesis 19:24-26)
----
The above story depicts an episode where God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah and where Lot and his family escape the judgement of God upon those cities.
There are many lessons to learn but I want to focus on one: 'how Lot's wife turned into a mountain of salt'.
Alongside her husband and daughters, she was told not to look back but she did. Over the centuries, many good theologians and Bible scholars came up with reasons as to why she looked back but I think one of the best possible reasons was the following:
'She was too invested in Sodom. She had invested so much in that city to the point where her heart stayed in Sodom.'
Look, it's okay to own stuff, but do not let the stuff own your heart.
It's okay to be rich. But do not let the riches own you.
When Abraham was called to leave his father's house, he took all his belongings (ref. Genesis 12:1-5 ). In this case, the call of God did not require Abraham to leave all his belongings behind. His belongings were not a threat to his life.
When God calls us, there will be times where:
a) He will not necessarily require that you leave everything behind.
TOP CHRISTIAN BLOGS FOR YOUNG ADULTS
When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”
(Genesis 19:15-17)
Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
(Genesis 19:24-26)
----
The above story depicts an episode where God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah and where Lot and his family escape the judgement of God upon those cities.
There are many lessons to learn but I want to focus on one: 'how Lot's wife turned into a mountain of salt'.
Alongside her husband and daughters, she was told not to look back but she did. Over the centuries, many good theologians and Bible scholars came up with reasons as to why she looked back but I think one of the best possible reasons was the following:
'She was too invested in Sodom. She had invested so much in that city to the point where her heart stayed in Sodom.'
Look, it's okay to own stuff, but do not let the stuff own your heart.
It's okay to be rich. But do not let the riches own you.
When Abraham was called to leave his father's house, he took all his belongings (ref. Genesis 12:1-5 ). In this case, the call of God did not require Abraham to leave all his belongings behind. His belongings were not a threat to his life.
When God calls us, there will be times where:
a) He will not necessarily require that you leave everything behind.
OR
b)There will be times where you will be required to leave something(s) or everything behind
I will discuss more on possibility 'b'.
One of the reasons why God requires that you leave something or everything behind upon his call, is because your belongings may become a threat to your life and to your purpose especially if they own your heart. In such case (possibility 'b'), if you decide to take everything (or that specific thing God wants you to leave) with you when God calls, then the devil may use your belongings or your attachments as a door to kill you. The weight of your belongings or attachment may hamper and slow down your speed to an extent where it will be easy for the enemy to catch up with you and kill you.
In Mark 10:17-27, Jesus perceived that the belongings of the young rich ruler were endangering him. This explains why He asked him to leave everything he owned.
If God does not require you to leave everything when he calls you, then fine, take your stuff with you.
But if He requires that you leave something or everything behind, then do so! It might be that your life, your purpose are in danger. And in some of the worst case scenario, you may be on a path leading straight to Hell...
The decision is yours to follow the instruction.
All the best!
b)There will be times where you will be required to leave something(s) or everything behind
I will discuss more on possibility 'b'.
One of the reasons why God requires that you leave something or everything behind upon his call, is because your belongings may become a threat to your life and to your purpose especially if they own your heart. In such case (possibility 'b'), if you decide to take everything (or that specific thing God wants you to leave) with you when God calls, then the devil may use your belongings or your attachments as a door to kill you. The weight of your belongings or attachment may hamper and slow down your speed to an extent where it will be easy for the enemy to catch up with you and kill you.
In Mark 10:17-27, Jesus perceived that the belongings of the young rich ruler were endangering him. This explains why He asked him to leave everything he owned.
If God does not require you to leave everything when he calls you, then fine, take your stuff with you.
But if He requires that you leave something or everything behind, then do so! It might be that your life, your purpose are in danger. And in some of the worst case scenario, you may be on a path leading straight to Hell...
The decision is yours to follow the instruction.
All the best!