We spend the entire life making decisions, sometimes for small matters such as what to eat for breakfast, sometimes the choices we make will affect the rest of our lives. Choosing an area to live, is one of the decisions that bear a long-term effect. There is a famous Chinese legend about Mencius' (or Mengzi, a famous philosopher from 372–289 BC or 385–303 or 302 BC) mother moved three times to make sure that he is raised up in a better neighborhood.
In contrast to Mencius' mother, Abraham's nephew, Lot made a bad choice to live in a sin city—Sodom. He was considered a righteous man by God, but this choice he made, nearly cost the lives of his family, (his wife did die, Genesis 19:26) and brought incest to his family subsequently. (Genesis 19:36)
Genesis 19 is a very difficult chapter to read because we see the display of the worst part of human nature. God says in Genesis 18:19-20 that “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” For He is loving and just, God doesn't want to wipe out two-city-full of people without any proof, and 19:4-9 vividly shows how evil those people were. Their destruction fits their crimes. But for Lot's family, he made his decision based on the world value and voluntarily moved his family close to Sodom, (13:12) and eventually moved into the city. He didn't move there without any knowledge of the city's reputation, for 13:13 says that "Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord." He moved there because he "saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt." (13:10) Lot chose the worldly value over God's value.
What is your base for making crucial decisions in life? Share an experience when you choose to follow God instead of following the world or your desire. Pray for each other that the Holy Spirit will strengthen us that we'll make our future decisions according to God's will.