A PIECE OF MY HEART...excess baggage

Several years ago I went on a missions trip with our youth group. As we all got checked in at the airport, I will never forget how the youth pastor's suitcase was found to be overweight. I can still see him standing there in front of all of us with his luggage open and taking out anything he could to get the weight of his load down. He was dividing up as much as he could...giving shoes to someone to put in their luggage, sweaters to another, pants to another, on and on until he finally got the weight of his load correct.
I was thinking about that the other day when I was writing down some goals and aspirations for this new year that I find myself in. God gently reminded me about the overweight luggage, and how I am similar to that youth pastor. The airlines would not permit him to travel because he had too much baggage and here I am trying to go forward in my adventure that I call life but I too am carrying way too much baggage.

Before I can go forward, I have to stop and do what that youth pastor did....take some things out that are weighing me down. The problem that most of us have is that we don't really recognize the baggage that we have. Before we can get rid of it, we have to identify it. Last year, I surveyed my readers about what kind of burdens they carry, here is what they said:

#1 burden reported was GUILT. "Guilt" is refusing to allow past sins to be forgiven. You may be reluctant to forgive yourself, forgive others or allow God to forgive you. Either way, its a burden!

The #2 burden the voters said they had was GRUDGES. "Grudges" is refusing to forgive others for hurting you. Ouch...that will put you in overload.

The #3 burden was WORRY. "Worry" is simply refusing to trust God. If we trusted Him, we would not worry.

The #4 most often burden to have was STRESS! "Stress" is refusing to relinquish your worries to God.

I wonder if you struggle with any of these burdens? If you do, perhaps, you find that your baggage is alittle overweight. Too much to carry. It will be difficult to go forward in your walk with the Lord if you continue to hold on to these things. The best way to get rid of this excess baggage is to do what that youth pastor did on that mission trip...GET RID OF IT!

Instead of putting your burden on others though, why not just put that burden on God's shoulders and see what He can do with it. He never intended for us to go around with so much weight on shoulders that it would hinder us from doing His work. Think about it, if you would load up a bunch of boxes, crates and bags on your back and try to walk around and do your business, it would be extremely hard. You would be hunched over, your back would hurt, you might walk with a limp, certainly you would not be able to do your best with such excess weight on you. Spiritually speaking, it is exactly the same way!

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me . . . and you will find rest for your souls". (Matt. 11:28-30)

Let loose of those things that bind you. Don't let all of that excess baggage hold you back any longer!

And this has been a piece of my heart today;