In 2 Peter 2:7-8 (NIV) it says:
“And if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard).”
In reading some commentaries on the above verses I find that many look at this as evidence that God delivers us from trials, and that is true. However, I also see the verse in another way. During my quiet time a few weeks ago the above verse struck me in a way that it never has.
I know for many of us we think of Lot and remember how when his family was escaping the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, his wife glanced back and instantly became a pillar of salt. However, when was the last time any of us remembered Lot as a righteous man tormented and distressed (other words used are sorrow, grief, heartbreak) by the depravity around him? I began to wonder when the last time was when my soul was tormented by the lawless deeds that I see and hear all so often. When was the last time I was distressed to the depths of my soul by the depravity that surrounds me within this city? It is so easy to fall into a state of indifference to the sin and immorality that exists on such a grand scale because we are exposed to it on a consistent basis. For some of us it may even be easy to pray a quick prayer and feel that we did “our part” to be light where there is darkness.
Not only was Lot’s soul distressed and tormented but it was also found to be righteous as well. Wow. Lot was righteous in the midst of such depravity and sin. I pray that one day someone would remember me and say the same thing. I need a greater depth of understanding that I have never had before. I want to walk the streets of this city and the alleys of any red-light district and be broken in my soul to the point of weeping; not just on some days but every day. May my spirit be perplexed by the deeds of all those who do not know Him and may it be burdened by the depravity of a sinful heart, even the one that lives across the hallway.
Perhaps we should all be more like Lot.
End of article.