#write31days | October 22

I booked a trip on Sunday evening for the spring and was talking about the pricing of various airline tickets and additional costs for baggage, etc. as we were looking at flights. I really appreciate the airlines who make it simple to pack your bags and fly without a bunch of extra cost.  If only it was that easy  with our real life baggage. If we could check it for free, or a few dollars.  Heck, sometimes we would probably pay a decent amount for someone to take that weight. Either way, we could go on with life and and the baggage would be taken care of.

Instead, like planning for trips and flights, we are often bound by our baggage.
It holds us back and weighs us down from the places we are going.
I don’t know if you can relate to carrying any of these recently…

That purple suitcase is packed up for me on a regular basis. I have to check it at least once a week. And, then #doitagain. In fact, just yesterday I had a conversation about expectations and managing them with one of my besties.  It is one of the hardest things for me.

But, we weren’t meant to carry the weight of our baggage. Especially our past, which oftentimes packs the carry-on of shame with it. And, usually comes with the personal item of guilt. Getting through the day is exhausting trying to juggle those bags.  Even when we try to stow them away, they seem to emerge even heavier the next time we pick them up.

You and I can have freedom from our baggage.
We can have the weight lifted from trying to manage and carry all of it.

Putting our baggage in the dumpster and truly walking away from them might feel like circling the walls of Jericho and waiting for them to fall.  Our identity is so attached to those bags there is no way we can ever be free from them.  Somehow they find their way back to us. And, we have to #doitagain and put them in the dumpster.

I don’t know what this tangibly looks like for you and the bags you’re carrying. But, I do know the truth to being set free from the bags we are carrying.

Jesus. 

If there’s something that needs confessing and repentance:
do it with an honest heart and sorrow then turn (in the opposite direction) away.
And let go of the bag.
Jesus forgives you.
The next time: #doitagain.
And let go of the bag.
Jesus forgives you.

This will resolve about 99% of our baggage.  I’m sure of it.

Over time, our relationship with Jesus grows deeper and the grace he gives us begins to outweigh the baggage.  That grace is free to you and me. He doesn’t give it as our “safety net” or “excuse” to do whatever we want. He calls us to a life that is to be like him, obedient to the scriptures. But, he knows that we are human and sinful is our nature, so he provides grace for us if we will accept it. This is simply explained in this excerpt from the Bible Study I am currently working through, The Faithful:

Jesus paid the price for all of our baggage.
We try to pay it back by holding on and working it off in deeds.
We’ll never be able to repay his grace.
His life given on the cross.

So, if you’re carrying baggage, check it in repentance and be freed from its weight.
He will #doitagain and forgive.

If you’re just joining in from #write31days, I’m so glad you’re here!
You can {click here} to find links for all posts in this series.

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