.....dig

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come 2 Corinthians 5:17

It was a little boy’s first time attending a funeral — he was just four years old — and his parents wanted to make sure he understood how to behave, especially once they arrived at the cemetery. Wanting to prepare him, his father knelt down and asked, “What’s the most important rule to remember while we’re here?” After a few seconds of serious consideration, he replied, “Don’t dig up the bodies?”

Spiritually speaking, many of us struggle with the same thing. We've buried things — guilt, shame, old sins, toxic habits, past wounds — and through Christ, we’ve been given new life. The “old self” was crucified with Him Romans 6:6, and we’ve been raised to walk in newness of life. But for some reason, we keep going back to the graveyard with a shovel.

We want to dig up what God has buried. We replay past mistakes, rehearse old conversations, and relive failures that Jesus has already forgiven.Why do we do this? Sometimes it's because grace feels too good to be true. Other times, it’s because the old stories are familiar, even if they’re painful. We find comfort in what we’ve always known. But God doesn’t want us living in a cemetery of regret.

Here’s the truth -- in Christ, you are no longer defined by your past. You are not the sum of your worst moments. You are not the labels others gave you — or the ones you gave yourself. You are a new creation. That graveyard is not your home, and that shovel isn’t your tool anymore.

So, when the past comes knocking, when shame comes calling, when you’re tempted to pick up that old shovel again — remember the wisdom of that 4-year-old: Don’t dig up what God has buried! Walk away from the grave. The tomb is empty, and so is your old identity. Christ has made all things new — including you.

- alan smith

Father, thank you for making me new. Forgive me when I return to the graveyard of my past and try to carry what you’ve already buried. Give me the courage to lay down the shovel, step away from the past, and live fully in the new life you have given me. In Jesus’ name, amen.