As this New Year commences, we (as is the norm) have made resolutions as to what we would do, and not do in this New Year. However, as the year progresses, we may be confronted with the temptation to look back and reconsider some of the things we resolved to do away with – things we truly resolved to leave behind in the past year. Sticking to our resolutions, especially those that are about our giving up things that affect us negatively can be difficult to do. The temptation to rationalize that what we vowed to leave behind was not so bad after all, and talk ourselves into going back to the things or persons, which were detrimental to our wellbeing, is always there. We should truly resolve in our best interest to stick to our resolutions, and give up on those things or persons we have resolved to put behind us.
In Genesis 18, Abraham pleads with God to save Sodom and Gomorrah. Eventually, God agrees to save the cities if ten good people could be found. However ten people could not be found, and God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
In Genesis 19, God decided to save Lot and his family. Lot pleaded with his family to leave Sodom whose destruction was imminent. But some of his relatives did not want to leave. Lot’s wife agreed to leave, but she looked back, which was against the specific instruction to not look back, and she turned into a pillar of salt.
This story is a lesson for us who want to return to some bad situations.
- God does not want us to remain in Sodom – places and relationships that are detrimental to our physical and spiritual wellbeing.
- It takes wisdom and understanding to realize that we should get out of Sodom. As is the case with some of Lot’s kin, so many of us find it difficult to leave Sodom. They want to stay in unhealthy environments. They do not want to change.
- When you have resolved to leave Sodom, you have to stick to your resolve. You cannot afford to look back to the people that do not want to get out Sodom, even if they are relatives or close friends. We should not let them derail our decision to leave Sodom, even if we have to go all by ourselves. We should not let someone else’s decision to wallow in their wrong ways influence our decision to go in the right direction.
- Remaining in Sodom with them, will lead to our ruin. Having resolved to put behind negative ways, we should not allow considerations of others to control the direction we have resolved to take.
- In making our New Year resolution(s), I am sure it was not done on a whim. Most of us do give great thought and consideration to what we want to do or not do in any given year. So, stick to your resolve to let go those people and things, which may hold us back to stay in Sodom.
- Since we have resolved to leave Sodom and everything to do with Sodom, we cannot look back. We must resist the desire to look back. We must avoid thoughts about how it was in Sodom. We must look ahead; otherwise, our dreams, aspirations, and goals will turn into a pillar of salt.
May God grant us the will and the way to stick to our New Year Resolutions.
Happy New Year.