| You've heard the saying; "He's carrying a lot of baggage from his past." Or, "Avoid her... baggage!" But think about it. Baggage. We get it from other people by the things they do to us or say to us. And if we carry those things around, in essence, we carry baggage. We begin collecting baggage when we're just little kids. "Hey buck teeth, looks like you got two icicles hanging out of your mouth." I was only in second grade, but I started pursing my lips in public so I wouldn't be made fun of. It also caused me to become very shy and not want to talk. So little Jimmy became silent Jimmy. Baggage! You've heard that sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Well, guess what? It's one of the biggest lies you've ever been taught. Words can cut sooo deep, and if we don't learn to LET GO of those words and realize who we are IN CHRIST, essentially what we do is we pick up baggage and carry it around. You see, we can't find our worth based on what other people think of us. We have to find our worth based on Christ and our relationship with Him. Sometimes we pick up baggage from people who are close to us, like a once best friend. - They may cut you down behind your back. - They may try to steal your influence with others. - They may even lie and steal from you your husband, wife or friends. - They may even destroy your reputation. Friends make poor choices and we can learn to forgive them or we pick up baggage. Remember 70x7! Yes their words and actions HURT, they cut deep and if we carry around the traitorous acts of these people, essentially what we do is collect more baggage. We can't find our worth based upon what other people think , do or say about us. We have to find our worth in JESUS CHRIST and our daily walk with Him. But it doesn't seem to be that easy. As life goes on and we get older we just seem to collect more baggage. The truth about baggage is we don't need other people to load it on us. We do a pretty good job of dumping baggage on ourselves when we compare ourselves to others. We think things like; -If I could be as popular as they are. -If I could be as gifted and talented as they are. -If I could be as attractive or as financially well off as they are. But I'm not. I'll never be as good as they are. When we think that way we pick up more... you guessed it, baggage. Or we find ourselves thinking, "They have it made. Why is life so easy for them and so hard for me? I'm never going to make it like them. When we buy into that lie - just more baggage. Sometimes we pick up baggage from those who love us and their words cut like a knife. -Son, you'll never be successful. -Daughter, can't you do anything right. -Sister, you're dumb, fat, stupid and ugly. No one will ever want you. -Brother, get your act together or you'll never be as good as me. They probably didn't mean to hurt us. They actually have their own baggage. And when you don't deal with your baggage, you pass it on. All of us need to learn to find our worth, comfort and identity in Jesus Christ. -"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." Ps 23:1 -"My soul wait though only upon God for my expectation is from Him." Psalms 62:5 -"I, even I, am He who comforts you." Isaiah 51:12 -"You are complete in Him." Colossians 2:10 -"For in Him we live and move and have our being." Acts 17:28 If we don't, we pick up more baggage. It really gets tedious carrying around all this baggage and our natural tendency is to dump it on to someone else. We find fault with others, we become sarcastic and finger pointing as well as cool and indifferent. When we do this, it always backfires and we only pick up more baggage. Then there is this other baggage. It's my sin and nobody knows about it. I think I've got it under control, but it really has control over me. Then we read the words of Jesus, "I have come that you may have life, and that you may have it abundantly." John 10:10. But if we are honest, we haven't been experiencing this abundant life. It's hard to walk with God, carrying all this baggage and at the same time keep our balance.  Then the words of Christ echo in her ears, "Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28. That's what I want so I say, "Jesus please, would you take all this BAGGAGE from me? Because Jesus, I 'm over loaded, stressed and I can't live this way anymore. Please! Take it!" And you know what? He takes it if we let it go and Let it Go and LET IT GO! Your God is more than big enough for this task. If you choose to believe, trust and yield all your feelings, emotions, habits and history to Him, you can experience a BAGGAGE FREE LIFE! Letting it go, Jim & Sally |
