Tsunami Devotiona; by Steve Keaton
Saturday, January 2nd, 2010
Title: Checking Any Bags?
Text: Matthew 11:28-29 (NIV)
28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Over the past few years I have had the opportunity to do a ton of traveling around the world. It is always an experience to plan your trip, get to the airport, board the plane and see what adventure awaits you. Whether it is a trip with my family or while leading a group of youth, traveling is something that I have really come to enjoy.
During those years of trekking the from place to place I have certainly learned a few things. One, always pack a few snacks in your backpack. What can I say? I like to eat. Two, make sure you have all of the contact numbers and information for the place you are heading to. And Three, don't drag along any more luggage than you absolutely need. Of those 3 things, I would say the last nugget of traveler's wisdom would cause you the most pain. You will more than likely be able to find some food along your journey. As long as you have a the name of your final destination, you will more than likely be able to get to where you want to go, but if you are dragging too much baggage with you, you will definitely make your experience far more difficult that you would ever need.
Back in 2006 I took a group of high school youth on a 5 day trip from Winston-Salem, NC to New York City. The trip was to be a combination of service and fun, and one that would build some amazing memories for the entire group. When the group members showed up at the church to start the trip, each person had, not only a backpack, but at least 1 HUGE rolling suitcase. Watching my group navigate the Manhattan streets, the New York City subway system and the millions of pedestrians on the streets, was not nearly as entertaining as one may assume. Instead, the entire journey was filled with complaints, arguments and plenty of wailing and gnashing of teeth. Not because the journey was hard. But totally because each of us were dragging way too much baggage. Things we thought we couldn't live without or that we must have to make the trip better, quickly became things that we should have left behind.
Our journey as Christ-followers is much the same way. As we make our way on the adventures and travels that lye before us, we tend to accumulate and collect more and more stuff. Most of these things are items that we should let go of, dump and eliminate from our lives. Many of these things have been hurts and harms that we have allowed ourselves to drag along with us, weigh us down and make the road God has us traveling on far too hard to enjoy. And when we drag too much junk with us on that journey, the only person to blame is ourself.
So, how much baggage are you carrying? What are the hurts and wrongs that you are toting with you as you take step after step on your path? What are the things that you need to forgive, forget and leave behind to truly enable you to be the person and fully live the life God has blessed you with? What are the things that are causing you to fall short of reaching your potential? It may not be easy to do. Sometimes those hurts are so deep and the thought of forgiving someone who has hurt you so badly is something that we just feel we can't do. But know that this is what God calls us to do. And it is something that God will help us do. Instead of living the way the world does, dragging huge pieces of baggage of unforgiveness with them through life, drop those bags at the feet of Christ and then step boldly, confidently and happily into the journey God gives you.
Something to Think About:
List the baggage you know you are carrying with you.
How has carrying those bags caused your life/journey to be harder than it should have been?
What can you do to drop those bags?
A Few Minutes with God:
God, help me understand that carrying all of the baggage that I have accumulated during my journey is not what you want from me. Help me rely on you and your strength to drop those bags, leave those burdens behind and fully live the life that I can live in you. Amen.
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