Before you can board an airplane, you
must first have your baggage checked. The TSA agent is checking your bags to make
sure that you’re not carrying too much weight or if you have something explosive
packed inside. It’s okay to carry clothes in your suitcase, but it’s not okay
to carry bombs.
You also need to check the baggage you’re carrying on your soul for the same things. A burden is an invisible weight that you carry on your soul. How do you accumulate excess baggage? By continually mulling over the problems that bother you. Each time you dwell on a problem, it weighs you down. Add another problem and the baggage gets heavier. If you keep adding weights to your soul, you will eventually get depressed. To check your baggage, you must inspect 3 different suitcases.
PAST BAGGAGE (YESTERDAY). Inside this suitcase is GUILT (refusing to believe Jesus will forgive all your sins), GRUDGES (wanting to punish those who have hurt you), REGRETS (wishing you could go back in time to change a bad decision)
FUTURE BAGGAGE (TOMORROW). Inside this suitcase is WORRY (refusing to trust God to supply what you need) and BEING IMPATIENT. While worry dreads the future, being impatient is too eager to get to the future and isn’t happy with the present. (“I can’t wait to get out of here. I can’t wait to get married. I can’t wait to change jobs” etc.)
PRESENT BAGGAGE (TODAY). This is the only suitcase you should be carrying because you can only live TODAY. Even so, if you pack too many things in this suitcase, it becomes too heavy to carry. If you take on too many responsibilities, you will get STRESSED OUT.
Jesus said, "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…and you will find rest for your souls for My yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matt. 11:28-30). We carry excess baggage because we haven’t learned from Jesus how to correctly think and live.
To get rid of your excess baggage, you must "Cast your burden upon the Lord" (Psalm 55:22). Put your problems in His hands. Notice that God does not automatically remove your burdens from you. He instructs you to cast them to Him. You must LET GO of them. After you cast your problems into God’s hands, the weight will be lifted off your soul because your problems are in His hands now. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com www.makinglifecount.net