Living as a Pillar of Salt

The story of Lot and his wife from the Bible is legendary because of God's destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. However, over the years, I've realized there's more to the story than meets the eye. People do remember that Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt as they were escaping the two cities. Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt because she disobeyed God's instructions to never look back.

Although, this part of the story is well-known, it is rarely examined for its significance beyond disobedience. Many of us at some point in our lives will do the same thing Lot's wife did (hold on to the old while moving forward to the new) and end up like she did (stuck in the past not able to move forward any longer).

I've been in this place myself, even most recently in this lifetime. I was just like Lot's wife - a pillar of salt. I was stuck in my past. Granted, my past was filled with traumatic experiences that left deep-rooted wounds within me all my life that I am now healing, but it is not a good idea to stay stuck there. As a result, the feelings associated with those experiences are relived many times over making it virtually impossible to move forward with a fresh outlook on life.

If this is the case, then a question presents itself. How do we stop the seemingly endless cycle of being stuck in the past? As I pondered this question, it came to me that for me to stop being stuck in the past I had to be willing to release it. Quite often, the past or the effects of the past become somewhat of a comfort zone for us. I know this is true for me as well. The patterns of behavior and thinking can become as much a part of our whole being as our skin and bones. And no matter how miserable the patterns may be we'll still hold on because it's comfortable and familiar.

Although Lot's wife was trying to escape along with her husband as God instructed she was still comfortable with what she was trying to leave behind. And despite God's urgent plea to move forward at all costs, she couldn't let go of what was familiar to her. Therefore, she held herself back in what she was trying to escape. This is something everyone can relate to at some point in their lives.

Of course, we do not turn into actual pillars of salt, but I know for me I've stayed in situations and relationships longer than I should've which left me stagnant in every part of my life because of my refusal to let the past go.

Having said all of this, then another question presents itself. Why are we so afraid to let go of the past, even though we are constantly reaching for something new? We're afraid of the uncertainty of what lies ahead if we totally release what has been most familiar to us. We can't hold on to both the past and the future. We have to let both of them go so we'll be able to move forward in the present.

Meditate on this for a moment. Imagine there are two ropes. One rope is tied tightly to a wall on the right side of you. The other rope is tied tightly to a wall on the left side of you. You grab the end of each rope on both sides holding them as securely as you can. Now, imagine trying to walk either to the left or to the right while still holding both ropes in your hands. You wouldn't be very successful. In order to hold both of them at the same time, you would have to stand still in the middle of both walls with the ropes. You would be stagnant. Thus, this action causes you to become a pillar of salt. The only way you'd be able to move is to let one or both of the ropes go. But then you have to think about it before you let go. One of the ropes lead to the past and one leads to the future. Would you let go of one of them or both of them? Yes, this is a trick question.

My personal recommendation from experience is to let go of both ropes, decide to move forward, and just do it. Believe that you deserve freedom from the past and the effects the past have caused in your life. Do not worry about the past. Let go of any worry about the future. Enjoy the present moments that are given to you and take a new step each day towards your future with hope, faith, and love.

We do so much out of fear. We hold on to the past out of fear. We are afraid to move forward out of fear. We stop living in the moment out of fear. Instead, let us begin to live in love. We are made of love. We are love. Let us remove the salt from our paths. Let us rejoice in love and take each step towards a new beginning in love, not fear. And when we let go of the past, let us trust.

*Note: Genesis 19: 17-26