Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it (Luke 17:32-33). Judgment day is no day to linger and neither is today. I think that's a bit of what Jesus was getting at as He spoke to His disciples on this occasion. In the broader context of the passage, He was letting them know that there would be a day when the brokenness of this world would be brought to an end, a day when the patience of the Father would be replaced with judgement and salvation, a day when He would return as King. But then He also wanted His disciples to "remember Lot's wife." She was the one, who, despite the instruction given to her from the heavenly messengers, looked back at Sodom as her family was running away to be saved from the impending judgement that was about to rain down from the sky. When she did such, she was able to run no more; she became a pillar of salt. One little instance of one little longing glance back at what she thought was important crystallized her. As she ran away with her family, God was saying, "Graciously, I'm preserving you from this" while she was echoing back, "I want to preserve the life I'm running from." I don't know if God meant it to be ironic or not, but the fact that she turned into an actual unfeeling preservative is a little funny and chilling all at once.
Jesus tells us that it's better (or really necessary) to lose our lives than to try and hold on to them. As someone committed to following Him, I really wonder sometimes if I get it. There are so many things in this life that I'm trying to preserve or hold up and keep spinning like plates on a stick, things that I wonder if I'd have a hard time abandoning in an instant if God suddenly pulled me away. Reputation, good projects, my row of ducks, etc. I like those things, but they better not be "my life." No, "my life" needs to consist of daily standing naked before my Maker with no hands behind my back, no fist clenched around a trinket, no glancing back over my shoulder because of a divided heart. I need to want the life He has to offer, the life that ,by His grace and goodness, I'll keep. I don't want to be the salt lick.
Jesus tells us that it's better (or really necessary) to lose our lives than to try and hold on to them. As someone committed to following Him, I really wonder sometimes if I get it. There are so many things in this life that I'm trying to preserve or hold up and keep spinning like plates on a stick, things that I wonder if I'd have a hard time abandoning in an instant if God suddenly pulled me away. Reputation, good projects, my row of ducks, etc. I like those things, but they better not be "my life." No, "my life" needs to consist of daily standing naked before my Maker with no hands behind my back, no fist clenched around a trinket, no glancing back over my shoulder because of a divided heart. I need to want the life He has to offer, the life that ,by His grace and goodness, I'll keep. I don't want to be the salt lick.
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