Remember...

"Remember Lot's wife."
A simple scripture. Short, sweet, and to the point. Christ's words in Luke 17:32 may seem simple at first glance, but if you think about it more, you discover just how profound of a statement it is. We often make simple phrases, such as "Remember the Alamo", "Remember the Maine", or "Remember the Titans" to use as a motivational phrase to strengthen our commitment. Never forget the things that happened here. Remember the Alamo, and the loss it was to us. Don't let it happen again. Remember the Maine, and how it was sunk by our enemies. Don't let it happen again. Remember the Titans, and their dedication and perseverance.
But why remember Lot's wife? Well, who was Lot's wife? Obviously, she was Lot's spouse. Who was Lot? Back in the Old Testament, there were two cities that lived in utter sin and wickedness, Sodom and Gomorrah. They were so perverse that the Lord was ready to just wipe them out. But first, He sent angels to go and see if they could find enough righteous people to make it worth it. There weren't, but there was one man, and his name was Lot. The angels warned Lot of the coming destruction, and he took his family and fled. They were warned not to look back at Sodom and Gomorrah, or they'd be turned into a pillar of salt. As they fled, Lot's wife looked back, and just as was told them, she turned into a pillar of salt.
Now, the sin wasn't in physically turning around to look. Lot's wife crime was deeper than that. She didn't just glance back, she looked back, longingly, wanting to return, missing her life there. She was leaving sin and deprivation to live in righteousness, but she couldn't leave behind her home. She didn't want to. When she looked back, she was saying that she wasn't repentant of what she had been doing, and that she didn't want what she was being given. She was desirous to continue living in sin.
That is Christ's admonition to us in Luke 17:32, that we remember the fate of Lot's wife as a result of her choice to look back. Not just to the city, but to her past. We must make positive steps forward in growing in faith and coming closer to our Heavenly Father. As a result, we often leave behind pasts that are colorful, and filled with mistakes. We must forsake these things, and leave them in the past where they belong. If we start to look back, to miss our past, and to want to return to it is when we start to slip, and become as Lot's wife. Stay strong, and endure to the end. And always Remember Lot's Wife.