Lot, his wife and two daughters were saved from the destruction of the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Genesis 19:16
They were given the instruction to flee to the mountains and to not look behind them. Genesis 19:17

The wife of Lot could not resist the temptation to look back at all that she was leaving, and so as she turned to look back, she was turned into a pillar of salt. Genesis 19:26
You may well wonder why it is so dangerous to look behind you.

When you are fleeing habits that are destructive, looking back is like revisiting a toxic waste dump that you did well to abandon.

The mind plays devilish tricks on you, it has a way of highlighting the memory of things that gave you pleasure and dulling the memory of things that caused you trouble or pain.
A former smoker may well remember the feelings that smoking a cigarette gave him when he felt the need for "a good smoke." He more than likely will not remember the racking coughs, the shortness of breath, etc.

A recovering alcoholic may well remember the joy he got from a soothing cocktail, but will forget waking up with headaches, not remembering what he did last night, the loss of his job, his family. Even worse, his loss of respect and standing among his peers.
A former gambler may remember the thrill of winning but forget losing everything on the turn of a card or the roll of the dice.

Proverbs chapter 26, verse 11 states: Like a dog that returns to its vomit, The stupid one repeats his foolishness.

Let those of us with discernment not be like the stupid ones. We must exercise faith demonstrated by prayer to Jehovah God, to give us the strength and determination to do all in our power to not look back to the things that caused us harm, but to look ever forward to the things that will give us everlasting life.