A while back in our Sunday morning Bible study, part of the lesson had to do with the baggage the kings of Israel had to deal with, passed on by kings who preceeded them.
It also mentioned that usually each of us carries a little baggage around, too. Um, yup. Some of us more than others.
Worse, we carry this heavy thing around picking up a negative comment here or an unpleasant memory there and stuffing them into the already overfilled bag.
Remember the last time you went on a trip with a suitcase filled to overflowing? I picture this person dragging a heavy suitcase up umpteen flights of stairs, stopping on each landing to pick up something and add it to the bag. We're kind of like that, aren't we?
Instead of giving our burdens to the Lord like He suggested, we lug around the ugly memories, certain we deserve to carry this load instead of giving it to Him. We heft that unkind thought and try to hide it from Him in one of the bag's pockets. The prayers we should have prayed but didn't go in there, too.
Before you know it, the baggage is too heavy to carry any more. Then what?
As I see it, there are several choices.
We can give up, plop down beside our baggage, and complain about how much baggage we carry.
We can decide there's no way our problems can be solved and end our own lives by diving into drugs, alcohol, or more direct means.
Or we can do as Jesus said and let Him have our burdens. It's too much for use to carry--but He is able to not only carry the burdens but to dispose of them. Let Him have that old suitcase. It's all right to cringe as He digs all the dirty laundry and skeletons out, but don't grab them away from Him.
I didn't say it would be easy--some of those skeletons are precious to us. And it might not be instantaneous--but if you let Him have it all, He can fix you.
Yes, He loves you just the way you are, but He also loves you enough to pick you up, dust you off, and send you off to do His work feeling much lighter and cleaner.
Try it. You'll like it.
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