Living into your calling means being relevant in the present. One of the shortest passages in the Bible is Luke 17:32: “Remember Lot’s wife.” It refers to the Old Testament story in the book of Genesis where Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt for looking back at her old home of Sodom as God rained down fire and destruction. Lot and his wife had been warned by the angels not to look back. “When they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, ‘Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!’” Genesis 19:17 NLT
Lot’s wife turned back. I don’t believe that the physical act of turning her head is why God rendered judgment on her. No, Lot’s wife was afraid of change. She was either afraid of moving forward to a new future or she was lusting after the comforts of what she was leaving behind. The past can hold us captive. We may be held hostage by what others have said or done to us or by what we have said or done to ourselves or others.
Today I am a husband and a father. Like many people I did not have the IDEAL childhood. We weren’t rich. We were pretty of poor. By today’s standards, my father was physically and verbally abusive. To top it all off, when I was 14 years of age, I watched my father die. When I was in my mid-twenties, I gave the eulogy for my oldest brother, Brian, an alcoholic whose body was found in a river. Would either of these events in my life have set me up to be a successful person or have a stable home life today? Hardly.
While our pasts clearly shape who we are, we can overcome our negative pasts. I am sure that I carry some scars from my past. I know that it shapes how I make decisions at times and how I interact with people in both positive and negative ways. Letting go of the past helps us to move forward to live our IDEAL lives in the present.
This holiday season I am sharing 12 short holiday posts to help you and yours get through this season with a little bit of joy and happiness intact. Many find the holiday season warm and inviting, but others get caught up in the hype of the season and even fall into the envy trap of comparing our lives to the lives of others. I would encourage you to create your own traditions and norms this time of the year. Don’t worry if the activities of your family or friends don’t match those of others. Be happy and define what works for you and yours.
Want more? Order a copy of my book on Amazon. It makes a great stocking stuffer, and it may just help someone you love or care for start living their IDEAL life.
Copyright© 2023 Glen Guyton. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Website Design by