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Motivated to Change My Life Before it Falls Apart

That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground.“My lords,” he said, “come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up early in the morning and be on your way again.” “Oh no,” they replied. “We’ll just spend the night out here in the city square.” But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. Lot prepared a feast for them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast, and they ate. But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!” So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him. “Please, my brothers,” he begged, “don’t do such a wicked thing. Look, I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them as you wish. But please, leave these men alone, for they are my guests and are under my protection.” “Stand back!” they shouted. “This fellow came to town as an outsider, and now he’s acting like our judge! We’ll treat you far worse than those other men!” And they lunged toward Lot to break down the door. Genesis 19:1-9 NLT

I change my life by…

Learning to ask the right questions

Most people ask God to bless their life, instead of asking God what kind of life He blesses.

Pursuing God instead of my desires and dreams

Finally Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not allow this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. After all, we are close relatives! The whole countryside is open to you. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want the land to the left, then I’ll take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right, then I’ll go to the left.” Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the LORD or the beautiful land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) Genesis 13:8-10 NLT

There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. Proverbs 16:25 NLT

Sticking with wise people who follow God

Lot chose for himself the whole Jordan Valley to the east of them. He went there with his flocks and servants and parted company with his uncle Abram.So Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom and settled among the cities of the plain. But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the LORD. Genesis 13:11-13 NLT

After Lot had gone, the LORD said to Abram, “Look as far as you can see in every direction—north and south, east and west. I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession. Genesis 13:14-15 NLT

Recognizing when it’s time to make drastic decisions

At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. “Hurry,” they said to Lot. “Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction of the city!” When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the LORD was merciful. Genesis 19:15-16 NLT

My Notes

Personal Reflection Guide

Take yourself to a quiet place where you can be alone with your thoughts and God. Reflect on a time in your life when you desperately wanted to see a change. Perhaps it was a change in your circumstances, or perhaps you were motivated to change something about yourself or were hoping to see change in a loved one. What feelings and actions came along with that desire and hope for change? Reread Proverbs 16:25, perhaps even in a few different translations and meditate on the simple idea that there are often paths before us that “seem right” but do not end well. Ask God to reveal some paths that perhaps you think are “right” to pursue in your current circumstances, but that will ultimately lead to destruction. Invite him to lead you on the path of his desires instead of just your own. Are there patterns and routines in the path you normally think is “right” that God is asking you to change? This week, consider what it would look like for you to seek out an Abram - someone who you trust hears from God and who also knows you and can help you follow God’s path to permanent change.

Discussion Questions

  1. What stood out to you in your personal Bible reading time this week and what have you learned about God or yourself so far?
  2. This weekend Pastor Matt said that, “Most people ask God to bless their life, instead of asking God what kind of life he blesses.” Can you relate to this? In what ways have you seen this principle play out in your own life?
  3. Read Proverbs 16:5. If you could have written your own story when you were younger, what dreams would you have chased and what kind of life would you have lived?
  4. As you look at your life now, what made God’s plan better for you and in what ways does that help you as you trust him for your future?
  5. Read Genesis 13:8-13. In this passage, Lot’s “long look” to Sodom and Gomorrah and all its wickedness, ended up destroying him and his family. What are you currently looking at or yearning for that could eventually lead to your destruction?
  6. Who is the “Abram (a person who helps you follow God)” in your life that you need to stick with, or spend more time with, to get to the life God wants you to live?