Sodom. 1000 BC. It was Lot’s wife’s favorite place she had ever called home. She had never had more friends and more fun than in the years she had lived in Sodom. Sure, she had forgotten a little of where her family had come from and the God they once loved, but the glamor and glitz of this thriving metropolis was more than enough to quench her thirst for a meaningful life, right? When the two men dressed in white from a distant land came to get her and her family to flee the city, it was hard to understand what they meant. Sure, it wasn’t a perfect place, but is leaving really the only option? Surely there was another way. Why were they having to walk so fast? She needed time to process this change, as the view of her home grew further and further away. When the men that were leading them instructed her not to look back, it was the hardest thing they could’ve told her. The God of her past tugged at her heart, but her craving for the life her flesh longed to live called louder. She couldn’t resist. Just one more view? She looked back. It was the last glance she ever took.

Obviously, I don’t know exactly how this story transpired, or her exact thoughts. We actually don’t even know the name of Lot’s ill-fated wife. Yet to see things from her view, this is a little of how I would picture those events to have transpired.

There are many points in this story, but the most poignant to me today is the last thing we see here. Looking back. I think it no coincidence that the minute she tried to look back she could not move on.

When we think of ‘not looking back’, we think of it in all different scenarios, especially in forgetting the negative things that may reside in our past. We are told not to remember the bad and keep pressing on to the good.

My favorite scripture along these lines are Paul’s famous words in Philippians 3:13-14, where he says

“One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Paul said to forget what is behind. All that is behind. Not just the bad, but the good as well! Many times, our minds reside so easily on the successes and accomplishments of yesterday, when we should be giving them just as much attention as we give our past failures and mistakes–and that is none. Just as we must forget the bad, we must forget the good as well.

Sound strange? Possibly. This is not new news by any means, but it is a rare occasion in a self-centered world.

There may be something at which you are or were really skilled or accomplished. You have reason to be very proud of yourself for it. But do you also know that just because you used to be good at something doesn’t mean that you still are? Maybe you have been the most skilled businessman in your company. Maybe you are an accomplished musician or athlete, with record-breaking awards to your name. Whatever you are, no matter how good you are at it, if you’ve been around very long, you know that you can place no reliance on your last performance. It is always on to the next, and you don’t look back. If you do, you may miss something that you need to learn today.

Call it teachability, call it humility, call it pressing forward–there are many categories. But pressing towards the goal most always means forgetting how good or bad you were before, acknowledging God as your source, and starting new with no reliance on your past abilities and skills–only relying on God’s grace, favor, and gifting, the same as you did at the first.

Wouldn’t it be great if everything we were ever good at, we stayed good at? ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if I could do that the way I did before?’ Yes, it would be nice, but we all know that that isn’t real life, is it!

Even people who used to be the absolute best at something — Michael Jordan at basketball, Babe Ruth at baseball, or Muhammad Ali at boxing— they didn’t stay the best. These masters of their arts with all their records still hold accolades for their truly amazing accomplishments in those areas, and rightly so, but if they were to go play their games today, they wouldn’t exactly be able to keep up.

That makes sense to our minds most of the time, until it applies to us. Think about it in application to your life. Think about it in regards to our roles in the Body of Christ. What is your role? Where are some areas you may be serving? Are you a greeter, a nursery worker, or a volunteer in any area?  If so, how long have you been serving in that role?

Just because you used to be good at something–even great at it–doesn’t mean that you still are. We must all check ourselves and continually hold high standards.

You may be the most excellent volunteer the church has ever seen. Did you know that that could change tomorrow, simply by your heart? Just because you were employee of the month, volunteer of the year last time, doesn’t mean that you still qualify for it this time. You may pride yourself on being an excellent friend, parent, sibling or child. You may be the most skilled minister or orator. You may ‘speak with the tongues of men and of angels’ as 1 Cor 13 says, but if you have not love and the things that keep us qualified for excellent service in God’s eyes, then you are simply noise! If you were the best humanitarian your city has ever seen, but you lost your love in serving (which evidently we are all capable of doing, or the Bible wouldn’t have said so!), you gain nothing.

If I as an employer, employee, volunteer–whatever it may be–to think that I can go into tomorrow resting on the laurel’s of yesterday, I am mistaken. “I used to do this’, or ‘I was this’ have no bearing! What are you today? Who are you being to the people around you? Are you dependable, are you trustworthy? Are you true? Are you the minister that was, or are you the minister today?

Luke 17:32 tells us to ‘Remember Lot’s wife!’ She became a pillar not only of salt, but also of unbelief. The chapter here in Luke tells us that when Jesus comes again, it will be like that account in Sodom. People were enjoying their lives of luxury and sin, much like they do today. But verse 31 tells us to ‘not turn back,’ and in verse 33 that ‘whoever tries to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life will save it.’

I have learned so much in my life of walking with Christ, and I delight in sharing the stories. But if my only stories are from 5 years ago, then that does not qualify me for today. I do not want to have just been a blessing, or a good worker in my past, I want to be one in my today. I do not want to have just had a good attitude at one time in my life, I want to have one today.

None of us can live on yesterday. That includes everything from a trade or skill to your calling and being in the place you are supposed to be. What are you called to do?

Whatever it is, be faithful to that today. Faithfulness isn’t just a time period. It’s a state of mind, a state of heart. It’s an attitude and a chosen, purposeful behavior. It’s obedience.

Determine to not rely on the obedience of yesterday to get you by in your future. Don’t turn back, but press forward to be a worker before God that need not be ashamed. Let’s decide that looking back isn’t even an option, because we are so busy looking forward into the face of the One who is coming soon!

“Do all you can to present yourself to God as someone worthy of His approval, as a worker with no need to be ashamed, because he deals straightforwardly with the Word of the Truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15