Don’t Look Back

from April 2020

Herb’s Heating and Air

50 // April 2020 by Annie Baynes

Annie Baynes is the mother of two grown children, is the wife of Doug Baynes, she works at Helping Hands Senior Care, and she attends Peerless Road Church. About The Author H ow many times do we review in our mind things of the past: how we were hurt, who did it to us, why did it happen to me, or why me? None of these questions are wrong as long as we are asking them to move forward and learn from our past. What if we are asking these questions because we are feeling unhappy, used, or lacking in value as a result of our past?

What do we gain by looking behind us? God’s got our back covered by His grace. Ephesians 6:13 says, “Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to resist and stand your ground in the evil day and having done everything to stand firm.” Put on the full armor of God. God’s glory has us covered in the back; we are to move forward, not turn and run backward or ponder the things of the past. We often allow our past to destroy our future. We allow the past to tell us who we are and set our self-worth by this standard. Say you were raped at a young age: is it running and controlling your life today, even though you are now a grown adult? Is your intimacy with your spouse free and open, or do you shut them down and find intimacy very nasty and have little to no desire? When we allow ourselves to let our past defeat our future, the devil has won.

In Genesis 19:13, the angels told Lot to take his family and leave Sodom, for God was going to destroy the city due to the sin. What sin? In Genesis 18:20, it says, “And the Lord said, ‘The outcry (of the sin) of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, for sin is exceedingly grave.’” For the Lord to say exceedingly grave, or as the NKJ says, “very grave,” He was willing to destroy the entire city and everyone in it. God found Lot’s heart righteous, so He wanted to save him and his family. In Genesis 19:15, the angels urged Lot to hurry and get up! Take your wife and two daughters and go. In verse 16, Lot hesitated and lingered. The angels took hold of his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters because the Lord was merciful to him and left him outside of the city.

One angel told him, escape for your life: do NOT look behind you or stop anywhere in the entire valley. Lot requested to go to a small place, and it was granted. Once Lot arrived and the Lord knew he was safe, He rained down brimstone and fire from Heaven on Sodom and Gomorrah. In verse 26, Lot’s wife—who was behind Lot— foolishly, longingly looked back toward Sodom in an act of disobedience, and she became a pillar of salt.

Do you allow yourself to longingly look back at your past? Self-pity only reduces your self-worth. Lot’s wife was worthy of God’s mercy and allowed to leave the city, but she still wanted a part of what Sodom offered to her. Are you willing to let go of your past 100%, not looking at it, not reviewing it in your mind anymore? Your past may be what has kept you from doing what God has anointed you to do. What does your Sodom and Gomorrah look like? Allow God’s mercy to take you forward. Allow the healing of your past to drive you to the destination that God has for you today.