Recently, I was reading about how Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb. Familiar story, but I went away from that encounter with a fresh question in my mind. It was as if the Spirit asked me if I am still wearing my grave clothes: those attitudes, behaviors, and lifestyles from when I was dead. The answer? Yes, I am. I still wear some things that belong to my old dead life. Certainly not as many these days, but some, and some are too many. The fact is: I don’t have to. So why do I?

Oftentimes, I don’t even identify those things as belonging to my dead way of life. Ways I used to get things accomplished, such as manipulating a situation to make something happen the way I want it to, I can give that up. If I truly believe that God has my life under control, I don’t have to manipulate or control every situation. I can rest in the fact that He’s got this – whatever this is.

I have other hidden ways, those things that are private and don’t need to be shared. We all have those. They belong to the old, dead me. God occasionally shines light on those dark places, not with condemnation but with the assurance that there’s a better way, His way. Everything that represents the dead part of me is only a hindrance. When will I get that?

Here’s my mind-blowing revelation from those scriptures I read. Jesus said, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” Notice Jesus didn’t tell Lazarus to take off his own grave clothes. Lazarus was bound and unable. It was by Jesus’ word that the grave clothes were removed. Same with me. Obviously, these remaining things I now call grave clothes are something I’m not able to remove alone. I’m bound by them. I need Him, through His Word, to remove them.

So I ask, are you still wearing your grave clothes? Give it some thought. Respond here on the blog or on Facebook. I would love to open a conversation. What are those things from our dead way of life that we allow to linger in our new life?