Love Not the World

Lot is an interesting, complex figure in the Old Testament. Known as the nephew of the “Friend of God,” he willingly left his home in Ur and shared in the blessings of Abraham. He eventually became so wealthy that he and Abraham had to separate themselves. However, it is at this point we see that his nature was different than Abraham’s. Abraham always let the Lord determine where he was going to go but Lot had decided to choose his own way. Lot chose the fertile plain and was soon drawn to the big city of Sodom. It did not take long for Lot to be drawn into the problems of “big city living.’ He was carried away into captivity and almost lost all of his possessions and his life. Only Abraham’s heroic efforts saved him. After this, Lot returned right back to the same city.

 As Christians, we are called to leave this world and dwell in the Lord’s kingdom. But sometimes complacency causes us to return to the “city” and put our minds on the things of this world instead of having faith in God. Because of Sodom’s sin, God finally decided to destroy the city. The angels found Lot at the city gate. In contrast to the godly man of Psalm 1, Lot was walking in the counsel of Sodom, standing in their way and was now sitting in their seat. Although Lot never seems to have shared in the sins of Sodom, he tolerated them, and because of this he could save no one from the city—even his son-in-laws thought he was just joking when he warned them. As morning approached, the angels warned him to flee, yet Lot hesitated. Lot knew what was coming, so what held sway over this man? Lot was entrenched in his possessions and his environment. In an act of mercy, the angels took Lot and his family by the hand and drug them out of the city. They then warned them to run but Lot responded in a strange way, “Oh no my Lord! There is a city nearby—just a small one.”

 You see, Lot still wanted to dwell in the city. Although the Lord had just saved Lot, he still was not willing to change. Are we really all that different from Lot? This world is full of sin and we are warned that it will soon be destroyed. But too often we hesitate. God tells us to flee the things of this world but we say, “Oh no my Lord! Let us go only so far and stay where we are still comfortable.” We want to follow Christ but we don’t want to change our lifestyle. We want to have a godly family but we still let our kids go places that they shouldn’t. “O Lord we want to follow you, but only so far!” What will it take to convince us? How can we obtain the attitude of Abraham, that of a sojourner, instead of following in the footsteps of Lot? Lot was saved from the hellfire of Sodom but he lost his wife to unbelief and his daughters soon showed that they too had the influence of the wicked city.

 Our last glimpse of Lot finds him living in a cave in the mountains. What a disappointment! From the grandeur of the Promised  Land with Abraham, Lot proceeded to the exile of a cave. Abraham looked for a city with foundations, whose architect and builder was God. Lot looked for the city with momentary glitter, whose destiny was fire and destruction. The misery of Lot should convince us to hold our possessions loosely and be ready to follow the Lord.    —Mark Ray