Genesis 19:26  But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt. (NLT)

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I can’t read this verse without hearing Boston play Don’t Look Back. Also, if you look up the YouTube video of this song, you will swear you stumbled into a GEICO commercial.

I also can’t read this verse without thinking about Christine Caine ([https://www.a21.org/](https://www.a21.org/)). She used this text in a testimony about her life. The line that has stuck with me from her talk is so good I may use it in a sermon someday. She said, “Lot’s wife got stuck in a moment she was supposed to be passing through.”

Been there, done that? 

The last year has been a challenging one. Challenges come in at least two varieties: Good and Not So Great. Both kinds are now recorded in memory and journal entries. 

One of the important emphases of this past year is how very like Lot’s wife we can be. There are moments of deep pain and impenetrable darkness in our pasts that threaten to keep us stuck in a moment we should have passed through long ago. Some knots, however, are tied tighter than tight. They are virtually impossible to undo without professional help.

Thank God for counselors who help us untie the knots of our past. Thank God for coaches who help us prevent tie-ups going forward. Thank God for his grace, mercy, and kindness when we are caught in traps of unkindness and impounding memory.

Lot’s wife stands as an object lesson regarding unforced errors. Life is full of these realities. If we could ever get out of our own way, we could make much more significant progress. This sounds like a theme for the year, doesn’t it? Get Out of Your Own Way in 2025!

Donald Miller talks about planning your day through the lens of this question: “If you were living this day for the second time, what would you do differently?” Instead of requiring a Do-Over someday, start with Do It Right the First Time. 

Live with intention and purpose. Maximize the goodness of these hours and opportunities. Build a better world for yourself, your family, your friends, and those who, one way or another, need the Butterfly Effect of your goodness and kindness. 

Last year may have felt like you were running against the wind. Don’t get stuck in those tiny tornadoes and their turbulence. Turn around. Run with the wind at your back. Trust the fresh breeze of God’s goodness to blow through your life with daily refreshment. 

Stick with Jesus, not the pains of your past. Tearful moments are replaced with unending joy when we follow where he leads. 

What would you do differently if you got to live your life over? Live like that today. 

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I will live as if I am doing it on purpose and with intention to honor God and serve others.

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Our Father, on this day and in this year, I want to live each moment shaped by your purpose. May all of my failures come from daring greatly in obedience to your instructions. May all of my successes come from hearing you clearly and responding appropriately. May all of my tears turn into seeds of joy as you transform every painful moment into heavenly progress. Amen.