Tombstones or Treasures?
A saw a row of old-fashioned white tombstones lined up on a curved road.
God asked, “Is there only one tombstone in your life? Or many?”
The question baffled me and so I waited for His response.
“Many — the tombstones are marker points of where you died to self. There is an easy way to die to self and a hard way. When you submit to Me and release the dream, plan, circumstance. It just falls out of your hand and allows you to receive the next thing. When you ball up your fist and clench your teeth, it creates a vast monument blocking the way from any progress. That’s the hard way. You create a monument when you complain about your circumstances, compare your life to others, or compare it to your own vain imaginations of how it ‘should’ be. It makes you stop your progress and lament.”
“There are many kinds of death to self. Sometimes the death is of an idea, plan or how you perceive a circumstance. Sometimes a tombstone denotes an end of something that was wrong for us. Death to a habit, sin, or idea that went against God. Sometimes the death is of something that is good or neutral that needs to end to create space for the new thing to enter. You must let go of the good thing to receive the best.”
“When something ends, you will know it’s Me when you feel My peace and when you see the redemption. My story always contains forgiveness, mercy and grace that leads to redemption. My plans for you are always for a resurrected new life.”
“What am I supposed to do?” I asked.
“Put the tombstones where they are supposed to be.”
“I don’t understand. Don’t they just land where it happened?”
“Don’t let them block your way. Acknowledge them and move on. Acknowledge and repent of the sin if its present. Commit your will to Me and then let the tombstone do what it’s supposed to do. It is only to be a marker of a death event. It’s not there to block the flow of your life. Just a reminder of an event of surrender to Me. Nor is it a monument to your shame or guilt. It should never be an anchor for your unforgiveness or bitterness. It’s a marker to acknowledge a death to self and then move forward. Trust that I have the best plan for you. Understand that the tombstones are the treasures.”
***
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor. 5:17, ESV)
Are there times that you fight dying to self?
Or times that you hold on to your errors or sins constantly rehearsing what you did wrong? Clinging to your guilt and shame?
Don’t do it. It’s a horrible waste of time.
I know that’s easier said than done. But next time you are tempted to do this think of a tombstone. Try to picture picking up a few of those and dragging them around. Hopefully this will make you stop and maybe even giggle at the impossibility of this. Just drop your tombstones and move forward.
Will you see the tombstones or treasures?
Prayer for you and me: Let the tombstones of my life be what they are supposed to be. Markers in my life acknowledging my growth in my journey with the Lord. Let them not become obstacles. Jesus, I give you my guilt and shame. I repent of unforgiveness and a stubborn heart. I actively choose Your way. Help me, Amen.
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