BBD 05.10.04 Stop Digging
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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The Burning Bush Devotional
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05.10.04
Stop Digging
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect
will of God. - Romans 12:2.
I had never heard of the saying, “If you are in a hole, stop digging,” until
I read it in a book recently. It is apparently a well-known saying that many
have written about. The saying appears to me to be particularly appropriate
for those in the downward spiral of sin. This morning I talked with the
mother of one of my former clients (while I was a parole officer) who is
again in prison. He has been involved with substance abuse over the years.
He had contacted me last summer prior to his most recent arrest. He had
stopped at the store in our little town and picked up one of the free
booklets, “Never Give Up!” that I have placed there.
Tommy knew that it was a possibility that he would be arrested because some
people he had been involved with had already been. He was doing at that
point the things that he should do. He had stopped using and was trying to
cut off contact with the people who were trying to drag him back into
substance abuse. Tommy was in a hole that he had dug and he was, as in the
saying, trying to stop.
The apostle Paul was saying something similar in Romans 12:2. He said, “Do
not be conformed to this world.” In other words, he was saying “stop it!”,
“stop digging”, “turn away from the things of this world and climb out of
the pit you have dug”. It is somewhat similar to the story of the boy
sitting on a tack. Now the tack was hurting him and he wanted that to end.
So, the boy was asking for advice from those who came by. Finally, another
little boy said to him, “Why don’t you just get off the tack?” Good
question. It goes to the heart of the problem with addictions and sin. Why
don’t we just stop? Why don’t we just stop digging the hole we are in and
climb out?
It may be that we think there is no hope and that the sin is too powerful to
be overcome. Sin deceives. Sin can be overcome. You can overcome sin through
the power of God. However, many think that God will just zap you and you
will never again have to ask God for help. They think that they can just go
back to living like they were in the world and just not be involved with
that particular sin. No, it does not work that way. Overcoming sin requires
a complete commitment to God and to what He wants in your life. It requires
a complete change. You cannot continue to visit with your old friends who
are still involved in the sin you were involved in. Instead, you must
constantly look to God for the renewing of your mind for freedom from your
old sins.
So, if you are sitting on a tack - get off of it. If you are in a hole and
digging deeper - stop digging and get out. You can do it through the power
of God just like the apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all
things through Christ who strengthens me.” You can do the same!
Copyright © 2004. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
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