Sodom and Gomorrah - Team Players

Genesis 19:1-2 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. "My lords," he said, "please turn aside to your servant's house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning." "No," they answered, "we will spend the night in the square."

My daughter played her tournament basketball games this weekend (She plays for a small private Christian school). After a long hard game in which five of her teammates fouled out and the game went into overtime, they lost by 6 points. I was so proud of my little 6th grader. She played almost the whole game and had to be exhausted by the end. After they had finished changing out of their uniforms, she came and I gave her a hug and tried to console her from the days loss. When we got in the car, she began to tell me about how when they got into the locker room a couple of the girls started cursing in their anger about the game. I asked her quite calmly, "Did you say anything?" She told me, "I said, C'mon guys - we're Christians, we don't need to act like that even if we did lose." I said, with bated breath, "What did they do?" She said, "Well, Sierra backed me up and said that I was right and they just stopped cursing." I let her know that I was more proud of her for taking a stand in that locker room than for that entire game she played.

Lot met the angels at the city gate and immediately honored them by bowing. He offered them a place to rest and stay and then a quick exit out of the city. Why was Lot rushing these angels out? Because he knew the company he kept.

I've heard other Christians share with me about the way people act around them. Unbelievers who refrain from vulgar jokes and gossiping around them because they know they're Christians and how they would not participate or reciprocate in this type of behavior. Why did Lot not have that affect on the neighboring people in his town? Is it possible to be a Christian and no one know it - sure - is it effective for Christ - not at all.

Lot had lost his effectiveness. Whether it was the fear of the people in his city, the lack of support from his family and friends or some other reason, Lot did not share the power of God with the city of Sodom and Gomorrah. He knew the sins of this city and had found a way to simply survive. But that's not what we are called to do. We are not here on this earth to 'simply survive'. We are called to spread the gospel of Christ, that others may know him through our actions and our words.