There’s something about the story of Lot’s wife that speaks directly to a season where you have tried to move forward while still feeling tied to something behind you. Her story is brief, but the lesson is powerful. Scripture says, “But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt.” (Genesis 19:26) Lot’s wife didn’t look back because she was curious; she turned because she was connected to a place God was trying to remove her from. And if we’re honest, many of us are no better and have been in that same space trying to walk into a new season while still peeking over our shoulder at an old one. Sometimes you just have to keep it moving!
To understand her reaction, we have to understand the environment she was leaving. Sodom and Gomorrah were not just “bad cities.” They were a hot mess express. They were overflowing with corruption, injustice, cruelty, and spiritual rebellion. Scripture says, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant.” (Genesis 18:20) These cities were spiritually toxic and emotionally destructive. They were places where righteousness was mocked, cruelty became normal, and people suffered without relief. God wasn’t just rescuing Lot’s family from a location, He was rescuing them from a harmful atmosphere. And yet, Lot’s wife looked back because even toxic places can feel familiar. Even harmful seasons can feel comfortable. Even painful environments can feel like “home” when you’ve been there too long because normalizing dysfunction is actually a thing. Sometimes the mess you know feels safer than the miracle you don’t.
Her story invites us to ask a hard but necessary question: What do you keep looking back to that God is trying to move you from? Maybe it’s a job that drained you, a relationship that broke you, and old habit that feels comfortable even though it’s unhealthy, a season that exhausted you, or a place that wounded you. Maybe it’s a cycle God already ended or a situation that no longer serves your future. He is saying, “I am rescuing you from this pain and leading you toward something greater.” But your heart may still be tied to what hurt, disappointed, or what traumatized you. By looking back Lot’s wife revealed what her heart was still connected to. And let’s be real: sometimes we’re more loyal to our past than we are to God’s promises.
Looking back can keep you stuck in old pain, tied to old trauma, and distracted from your future. It keeps you emotionally invested in what God has already ended. Jesus Himself said, “Remember what happened to Lot’s wife!” (Luke 17:32). This is a reminder that your future, healing, elevation, and breakthrough is forward. You cannot walk into your next season if your heart is still living in your last one.
Again, the real question becomes: What is holding you back? Is it fear, comfort, the desire for closure? The hope that something broken will magically fix itself? Or is it attachment to a place God has already left? Lot’s wife teaches us that God can pull you out of the situation, but only you can pull your focus out of it. He can open the door, but only you can walk through it with a clearer spirit. He can prepare the blessing, but only you can stop looking back at the broken burden. At some point, you have to decide that your future deserves your full attention.
Ask yourself…
What am I still holding onto that God already released?
What am I afraid to walk away from even though it’s hurting me?
What version of me keeps looking back when God is calling me forward?
Trust that God’s future for you is better than your past. Don’t let looking back block your greater ahead.