The Cost Of Leaving

Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. (Luke 17:32-33 ESV)

God is doing a radical work within the Body of Christ that is both painful and costly. A Refiner's fire is sweeping through the Church that is testing both character and conduct. He is lifting the standard of righteousness and seeing who can pass through the flames as purified vessels. And to bring us through safely, He is calling many to walk away from what was once "home."

Because of the sin and compromise within various streams of the Church, there is a sovereign separation occurring. Whether it's belief systems, fellowships, or associations with certain people, He is asking many to "leave" what is familiar and follow Him to new terrain. For some it may mean a physical move, but for most it is an emotional and spiritual cutting away of that which is no longer good for us.

This may not apply to everyone, but for those who can relate, it is serious business. The call to separate ourselves from what we've always known is not without a great price. Unless we are convinced of His promise for something better and trust where He is leading, our emotional attachments will keep us tied to the past and bound to systems that will only fail us. We must determine where our treasure lies if we are to make the right choice.

Move Now

When God called Lot and his family out of Sodom and Gomorrah, it was for their own good. Sin and compromise had become rampant in their city, and the only way for the righteousness of God to be preserved was to leave and go somewhere new. In order for God's covenant promises to be fulfilled, it would require Lot's family to move. Immediately.

Knowing how hard that would be, God's directives were very clear. Lot and his family had to walk away without hesitation and not look back. There was no middle ground there. Either leave - or die.

But for Lot's wife, this was not an easy task. Though she took the initial step to leave, her heartstrings kept pulling her back. Imagine what she must have been feeling as she started walking out of her hometown — all her old friends and all the memories that had been made. She was walking away from everything she had known. She may have been wondering what would happen to her neighbors who were still there. She may have been grieving the material possessions she had to leave behind or the loss of her home. Regardless of the gross immorality and depravity that prevailed in the city, life in Sodom was what was familiar to her. It was her life. It was what she knew. And now she was told to leave - without looking back.

But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:26)

Clear Consequences

Even though God had made it very clear what would happen if they looked back, Lot's wife allowed her emotional attachments to prevail. When she looked back, the consequence was immediate. God fulfilled His Word and she became a permanent testament to the cost of disobedience.

But this isn't just a story about disobedience. It's a lesson about where our treasure lies. For Lot's wife, her treasure was in her home, what was familiar, and perhaps what brought her comfort. It could be that she actually looked back out of concern for her neighbors and friends. And yet God was testing her heart. Could she trust His Word and believe that this decision was for her good? Could she leave old acquaintances, knowing their choice to stay was going to be even more costly than her choice to leave? Could she let go of her past and keep her eyes fixed on what was ahead? I believe this is the lesson God is teaching many of us today.

There has been major compromise, sin, and abuse in the Church which God is now calling to account. And it's not just the Charismatic stream that is being impacted. His entire Body is going through the fires. He is purifying His Bride with a cleansing fire, and everyone is having to respond. Do we cling to the past or let it go? Do we hang on to our familiar beliefs, our long-held ideologies and favorite ministers, or allow Him to test them all with fire? This is His fire, after all.

To allow those fires to burn and walk away from what "once was" may seem like a huge loss. And yet - what are we really losing? If the things God is asking us to leave behind are only destructive and dangerous, why would we hang onto them? Are we clinging to those beliefs and associations because they are right and true - or simply because they are familiar? Perhaps they have even brought us comfort in the past. And yet - if God is judging some of those very beliefs and systems, and they are coming out of the fire as fleshly idols, do we dare cling to them for some sense of false security?

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:7-8)

Worth It

In this time of testing, the Lord wants to remind us that making the right choice will be worth the cost. Whatever He is calling us to leave behind, we must trust Him and place everything we've held dear on the altar. That which is truly of Him and for our good will pass through the flames and come out tried and true. But not everything may pass through. Not everything we've held onto has been good for us. Thus, for many there will be a pruning of our lives - a cutting away of dead wood that must take place in order for greater fruitfulness to come.

Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. (John 15:2)

Whatever it is that the Lord may be calling you to do, decide where your treasure is. Choose to lay everything on the altar and allow His fires to do the needed work. You have no control over the flames, for it is a sovereign work of His Spirit. He will be the one to determine what comes through the fire and what remains. Our part is to simply surrender.

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6-7)

Not everyone will make the same choice. In this corporate baptism of fire, there will be much change and even loss. And yet, it is simply preparation for what's ahead. The fires of God leave no regret. They are always for our good and for His greatest glory. And they always serve to prepare for the future and make room for new growth.

Yes, there is a cost to leaving. But in yielding to His purposes, that which lies ahead carries even more promise, offers more hope, and is filled with even greater power. Just fix your eyes on Him - and don't look back.

Wanda Alger is an ordained and commissioned fivefold leader who has been in ministry for more than 35 years and is passionate about interpreting life from Heaven's perspective. She is called to speak to the Body of Christ about the mountain of government, godly leadership, and Kingdom authority. Her blogs, videos, books, and other resources are available at wandaalger.me.

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