Many people in today’s world scoff at the idea of consequences. Not far from the Dead Sea in modern-day Jordan are plains filled with rubble and ruins that were seared with fire. At the Dead Sea itself, there are sizeable amounts of brimstone and so much salt content in the water that visitors can float effortlessly suspended—which is a pleasant experience if they are careful to not get any in their eyes, ears, nose or mouth.

Throughout the Bible, we see choices having consequences-some of which just so happen to end up tasting very salty. Today, I want us to personalize the historical event of Sodom and Gomorrah and take a moment to see how gradually it occurred. It all began with a quarrel Lot had with Abraham. Lot moved nearby the wicked city in the plains. He probably thought, ‘Well, it’s easier to buy and sell there if we just live closer.’ Then, ‘The food they have there is just so flavorful, we should eat there more often.’ Later, the thought may have crept in, ‘We should send our girls there to learn.’ ‘This place is so beautiful, we should just move here.’ Today, all you’ll find there is the sulfur God used to destroy its wickedness.

As imperfect believers, we need to be in God’s word, under preaching and consistent in our prayer lives so that we can see our mistakes, acknowledge them and ask our Heavenly Father for forgiveness. When we catch our worldly thinking quickly it does not have a chance to drag us into Sodom.

Have you begun to cast your lot with the world? The grip of desiring to just fit in will grow tighter and tighter until you have lost your grasp on what is right and wrong. Our lives are filled with choices that not only affect us, but also our loved ones. When we start making small compromises they can lead to the loss of our testimony, our rewards, and God’s blessing. Consistently doing what is right is no easy task, but we must remember that we don’t have to do it alone.