Doublemindedness

"Indecision is the graveyard of good intentions."

Unknown



In the nineteenth chapter of the book of Genesis we hear of the destruction of the Sodom and Gomorrah.  We hear also how the two angels instructed Lot to gather his family together and to flee the coming wrath.  They were told not to look back and not to stop on the plain lest they be swept away along with the rest.  We all know that the story says that Lot's wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt.  There is an incredible wealth of spiritual teaching in this incident.  It is about double mindedness and double mindedness leads to indecision.  Indecision leads to death.
Lot and his family had been living in a society that had lost its sense of holiness. You could site the town for any number of actions that indicated that they no longer understood the difference between right and wrong and only a clear break from that situation would give Lot and his family a chance to get back on track.  What was the significance of Lot's wife looking back?  Clearly she was reluctant to leave the life of the town behind.  She wanted to follow the Lord but she also had a fondness for the life she was leaving.  So, as she hesitated and looked back she was turned into a pillar of salt.  Even the pillar of salt is high symbolism for us.  Salt in a great big lump on your plate makes the food inedible - it makes you thirsty - it ultimately can kill you.  Salt in the Dead Sea makes it a place where life cannot survive.  So it was with Lot's wife.  Her indecisiveness drained the life from her and she died.
Are you following Jesus decisively or are you pulled in the direction of the things of the world and torn between the two?  Jesus said something similar when he said:  "Anyone who puts his hand to the plow and then turns back is not fit for the kingdom of heaven."