Have you ever felt buried? Well, I have it. There was a season in my life where I felt the weight of my mistakes, the pain of my past hurt, and the intense fatigue of trying to do something “good enough” was closed all around me. I can imagine that many of you know how you feel.
When you hear about Lazarus, you say, “Amazing, what a miracle!” But have you ever thought that God performs miracles like Lazarus in our lives every day? Maybe it’s not a literal resurrection from the dead, but a dream, relationship, a resurrection of our souls.
This is not just a pie-in-the-ski promise, it’s not a fellow believer. This is about God’s true concrete power to take broken pieces of our past and create something incredibly breathtaking and beautiful.
Let me explain how to do this:
Scars are not stains: accept imperfections
Early in my life, I believed that my worth was bound by my perfection. All the mistakes felt like permanent stains. This was a sign of shame that I could never wash away. Can someone be involved? It was exhausting to try and maintain this perfect facade, and I felt isolated and detached from God and others.
But then I came across a poem that changed everything. “What?! Does God’s power become perfect with weakness?” This flew in the face of everything I thought I knew.
I realized that my scratches were not stained. They were testimony. They were proof that I survived, that I had learned, and that God was faithful even at my most troublesome moments. However, I need to realize that accepting my imperfections is not tolerating my mistakes. It was to acknowledge God’s grace and his ability to work through them.
When you think or know that you’re a mess, here’s what you recommend in these times: Instead of being embarrassed, ask God to show you what you want to learn from it. How can he use the experience to shape you into a more caring, understanding, and resilient person?
Drill your dreams: Recover lost passions
Life has a way to fill our dreams. We are caught up in the daily grind, responsibility, the expectations of others, and suddenly, all of a once burned out passion, buried beneath the layer of “shoulders” and “have-tos.” Music has always been my sanctuary, my way of connecting with God and expressing my soul. But somewhere along the line, I was convinced that it needed to focus on more “smart” pursuits rather than “creative”. I stopped writing songs.
Then one day I felt this calm nudge from this gentle Holy Spirit. It was like he was whispering. It’s time to excavate my buried passion and make my creativity flow again.
What are the dreams and passions you buried? Identify and reconnect one small step that can take this week. Maybe it’s about signing up for a class, spending 30 minutes on a hobby, or simply praying that God will rekindle your passion.
The Power of “Never”: Redefine your story
One of the most transformative phrases I’ve learned is “Not yet.” It’s a simple phrase, but it has immeasurable power. It acknowledges that things may not be where we want them now, but it also affirms our belief that God is still at work, that he has a plan and that our story is not over.
Maybe you are facing a difficult situation. It’s easy to be disappointed and believe that things will never change. But what if I add “not yet” to the end of that statement?
“My marriage is struggling… but God works to restore it.”
“I am facing financial difficulties…but God offers.”
“I’m fighting this disease…but God is my healer.”
Those simple words will change your perspective. It acknowledges the reality of your current situation while simultaneously declaring your faith in God’s ability to turn things around.
Identify the areas of your life that you feel discouraged. Add “Never” to the end of the sentence, followed by a declaration of faith, and rewrite the story. Speak loudly every day and see how it changes your perspective.
Release the Clothes of the Grave: Forgive yourself and others
When Lazarus left the tomb, Jesus did not simply say, “I have not bound him!” He said, “I will lose him, and I will let him go” (John 11:44). Sometimes, even after God has resurrected a part of our lives, we are still bound by “grave clothes” of relent, bitterness and resentment.
Holding those negative emotions is like carrying heavy, heavy things that stop us from fully accepting our new life. It’s like keeping the tomb door a bit ajar and allowing darkness from the past to permeate our present.
True freedom comes when we release those grave clothes, forgive ourselves and others for the wounds we experience. Forgiveness is not tolerating fraud. It is to choose to let go of the pain and bitterness that holds us. It is to trust God to bring justice and healing in his own way.
Here is a simple exercise for you: identify who you need to forgive – whether it’s yourself or someone else. Pray that God will give you strength and grace and release the bitterness and resilience. Write a letter expressing your forgiveness and desire to move forward (you don’t need to send it).
From ashes to art: Creating beauty from broken things
God is the ultimate artist and he specializes in creating beauty from breakdown. He takes our crushed pieces, our mistakes, and our wounds, and he weaves them into masterpieces that reflect his glory.
Think of it like this: pearls are formed from the irritants inside the oyster. Diamonds are created under immeasurable pressure. And beautiful gardens often bloom from the most unlikely soil.
These ultimately prove that our exams are not pointless. They are the opportunity for God to show his power, his grace, and his unwavering love. He does not waste a single tear. He redeems all the pain. He turns our ashes into art.
With this in mind, I want you to practice this: I look back at the times when God brought beauty from the difficult situations of your life. Write down the lessons you learned, how you grew, and in the meantime God revealed to you. Share your story with people who need encouragement.
Get out of the grave: embrace your new identity
Lazarus wasn’t just coming back to life. He left the new man’s grave. He had a second chance, a new start, and a new purpose. And so are us.
When God resurrects our past, he does not only recover what is lost. He gives us a new identity, a new perspective, and a new calling. We are no longer defined by mistakes, failures, or limitations. We are defined by his grace, his love, and his infinite possibilities.
Friends, embrace your new identity in Christ. Get out of your past tomb and step into the incredibly beautiful future God has prepared for you. It is the time to live perfectly, love deeply, and shine brightly for His glory.
The Lazarus effect is not a one-off event. It’s an ongoing process. It is a journey of faith, surrender and unwavering trust in God’s ability to revive our past and create an incredibly beautiful future.
I challenge you today: Don’t let your past define you. Don’t let your dreams die. Don’t let your struggles disappoint you. Trust in God’s power to bring you a resurrection to every area of your life.
The grave is empty. Christ has been raised. And you live in him.
Photo Credit: ©GetTyimages/Mimai Mig
Emmanuel Abimbora is a creative freelance writer, blogger and web designer. He is a respectable Christian with uncompromising faith from Ondo, Nigeria, West Africa. As a child’s lover, Emmanuel runs a small primary school in Arigidi, Nigeria.
