OVERPACKING MAKES HEAVY BAGGAGE

Are you one of those people like me who tends to go overboard when packing your bags for a trip?  My problem is that I sometimes have a hard time with the thought of leaving behind something that I could end up needing.  I am that person who is sitting on top of my overstuffed suitcase as I struggle to try to get it completely closed and zipped shut.  I’ve learned over the years however, that I don’t ever end up using all those things I thought were necessities to bring along.  Over packing can also make it seem like a living nightmare when you have to lug your heavy baggage through the airport, trying not to miss your next flight. 

I must humbly admit that I have been an over packer my entire life.  It all began around the age of two when I remember thinking that carrying a purse was a dire necessity.  A few years ago when I flew in an airplane across the country, I stuffed my carryon bag as full as I could get it.  I also brought the largest purse I owned and filled it to overflowing.  When we finally landed from our six hour journey, the flight attendant noticed as I struggled to get my bags out of the overhead compartment.  In an effort to help, she asked if she could hold my purse for me and commented on how she should get my picture because I was carrying the biggest and heaviest purse she’d ever seen in all the years she’d been flying.  How embarrassing it was for me that so many people noticed that I had a problem with over packing.

Even more troubling was my tendency to hold onto all kinds of baggage over the years that I simply did NOT need to carry around with me everywhere.  Let me tell you that my baggage was extremely heavy and burdensome to haul around every day but I refused to let it go and it began to cause many problems in my life.  The baggage I chose to hold onto was extremely ugly, not the pretty animal print luggage that I would prefer to carry now.  I became exhausted from hauling the needless baggage of bitterness, envy, fear, anger and guilt for decades.  I gripped firm and would not let go of them despite the awful destructive consequences that were bringing to my life.

When someone hurt me I never forgave them.  I was envious of other people who had looks, talents and possessions that I thought I deserved to have.  I was often frustrated inside and impatient when things didn’t go my way.  Fear ruled my heart as I struggled to humanly understand why certain circumstances came into my life.  The weight of guilt I carried was unbearable because I rarely ever confessed the sin in my heart to God.  I chose to lug all of this heavy baggage around everywhere I went.  I didn’t dare loosen my grip and I felt like a victim who needed affirmation for continuing to carry all of that pointless destructive baggage.  I needed to let go of all of that wretchedness before I my life was ruined by it.

I’m so thankful that my eyes were opened to the truth and that I could be free from all of my baggage because of God’s Word.  Instead of being bogged down with the weight of my filthy sin, I could find the rest that I so desperately needed. I could have the joy that was once in my heart return because my heart was made pure through confession.  Anyone can find true joy and be freed from all of that baggage is we are simply willing to make some very key changes.

*We must be willing to humble ourselves and admit that we have been carrying heavy luggage with us everywhere and it’s time to lay it all down.   We can’t find freedom from our load of sin when we will not come clean with the fact that we’ve been carrying it around.  “He who covers his sin will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13

*We must bow our heads and confess the fact we’ve been holding firmly onto our heavy weight of sin.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  I John 1:9

*We must realize that Jesus wants to take our baggage of sin away from us and replace our envy, bitterness, anger and guilt with peace and joy so we can live the life that He died to give us. “I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 

Do you have the tendency to over pack your heart with heavy unnecessary baggage and wonder why you are always so exhausted? We must realize that we do not ever need to carry any of those heavy suitcases again because we have a Savior who is waiting to take those burdens from us.   Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to Me, ALL you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

We do not ever have to struggle with carrying around that horrible heavy baggage of sin any longer. Jesus desires for us to come to Him and finally unload all of our burdens which will allow us to find the rest in our souls that we are all so desperately searching for. It’s time for us to readily forgive others, be thankful for who God made us to be and trust that He has a special plan for our lives and wants to use to fulfill His purposes for His glory.  Absolutely no more over packing for me, how about you?