Remember Lot's Wife

"On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it."
Luke 17:31&32

Do you remember the story of Lot and his wife? They lived in the city of Sodom, a place where evil ruled. Men were corrupt and out of control. The lust of the flesh ruled the lives of all the inhabitants. God had said that even if there were only ten righteous people found there, he would relent from destroying the city. But he could not find even ten.. Only Lot, his wife, and family were righteous. The city was so corrupt that even when two angels of God came to visit, Lot feared for their lives. The men of the city demanded they be sent to them that they could do despicable things to them. 
    This is not a very pretty picture of life. But this is where Lot and his family lived. God chose to destroy the city, but told Lot to flee with his family to the hill country surrounding the city. They did as they were told and escaped the destruction of Sodom. They were specifically told not to look back while the city was being burned. But Lot's wife did, and she was turned to a pillar of salt. 
    What strikes me about this story and the fact that Jesus brought it up when he taught, is this: Lot's wife was named among the righteous. There is no indication that she participated in the evil that was prevalent in Sodom. All of Lot's family was righteous and they were called from a sinful place to a new land that had been prepared for them. The one mistake that was made, was by Lot's wife. She looked back, and it ended her life. 
    Jesus mentioned her to warn us. We cannot be like Lot's wife. You and I have been called away from the place of evil. I don't think she looked back because she longed for the evil, I think she looked because she had left a lot of things behind. Now it was being burned. Our lives are about moving upward as God calls us. The fire that consumes our pasts is his business. We are called to righteousness in God through Jesus Christ. We are fulfilling that each day as we live for him and move toward his goal for our lives. Don't make the mistake of looking back, longing for things you may have had. We are taught to look forward. When Jesus calls us away, look forward with joy and don't go back for anything.
The new things he has for us are far greater than anything we have had in the past. Whenever we are tempted to look back, we should remind ourselves; Remember Lot's wife!