When You're In A Hole Stop Digging

          Many years ago, I heard someone share a nugget of wisdom with me.  I don’t remember who they were, but I still remember the wisdom they passed on to me.  They said, “Do you know what the first law of digging holes is?”  I responded “No.”  To which they added, “When you are in a hole, stop digging.”  How true that is, and I’ve passed it on to many people.

          I remember one person I was dealing with in the church I was pastoring had an alcohol problem.  I had warned him of the dangers of it several times.  Our church had to remove him from some positions because of his drinking.  Each time, he denied that he had a problem.  On a few occasions, the police had to be called out to his house because of domestic incidents related to his drinking.  On one of those occasions, the wife and a couple of the children stayed at my house for the evening.  I loved this family, but it broke my heart to see what alcohol was doing to the dad.  I shared with him one day, the “First Law of Digging Holes.”  He didn’t listen.  Months later he was arrested for injuring his wife during a drunken tirade.  He was thrown in jail, later released and he had to live with his parents who he had issues with.  He couldn’t have contact with his wife that he loved for a while.  He was unable to come to the church I pastored because he couldn't be around his wife. 

          One day I happened to run across him in a grocery store parking lot.  We had a wonderful conversation.  He was doing better and making progress, but he was having to learn the hard way.  I mentioned to him about our earlier conversation about the “The First Law of Digging Holes.”  He said, “I know, but I had to hit rock bottom.”  I mentioned to him, “Did you ever think that hitting rock bottom is when you finally put the shovel down and stop digging?”

          So why do I share this story?  In my opinion there are far too many people with shovels.  When we continue to do the wrong thing over and over, it will catch up with us.  Numbers 32:23 in the NKJV says ²³ “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.  God was giving the Israelites instructions and if they didn’t obey, their sins would become apparent to everyone.  People think that they can hide their sins from God and from others.  That’s not the case; your sins will catch up to you.

          In the 13 years that I have been the pastor of this church we have had 3 hacks into our bank accounts, one person broke into our property and stole some church lawn equipment, and recently we had someone try to scam our church members.  One of the people who stole from our church, her mother, wrote us a beautiful note asking us to prosecute her.  She said we didn’t raise our daughter that way and she needs to learn to stop those practices.

There is great frustration when people are trying to help the needy and the good people have their resources taken from them. Unfortunately, in our world, there are people who are trying to con innocent people out money, possessions, energy, etc. just because they’ve dug themselves a hole.  Often, we look at others who have harmed us and we complain, but what about the people we are hurting.  I think we’d be better off looking in the mirror to see if we are the ones conning others or maybe we are even conning ourselves.  Listen to God.  What is he saying to you about how you are living your life?  If you are off track, my suggestion is, instead of taking advantage of others, just “put the shovel down.”

          Maybe your life is a mess, and you’re only making it messier.  May I encourage you to stop using your energy to dig the hole and to turn to Jesus Christ for help.  He has reached down into our world to die on the cross to save us.  He will reach down into your hole and help you out.  But you need to put down the shovel so you’ll have 2 free hands to grab a hold of Him so he can get you out of the hole.  God loves you and wants to help you.  So stop digging!!!

In Jesus’ Abundant Love,

Pastor Steve