What Baggage Are You Carrying?
“And let the peace [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] that comes from Christ rule in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” Colossians 3:15
* Most of us have lots of stuff… When we move from one place to the next, we pick it all up and take it all along. As time passes we accumulate more and more. Some of those things we can see, others… well, they are unseen, but you can bet they are there. Most often the concealed things are the heaviest to lug around, much heavier than the old things that are in our attics or basements.
* What are we talking about? People and their life’s clutter! It is amazing how certain things can debilitate us and in some instances completely incapacitate us as we are trying to reach our potential... As we grow older we realize that not fulfilling our dreams and potentials severely damages us as God’s people.
* The baggage we carry along in life has a lot of influence on how we live daily, how we act in private and in public. In will affect the way we interact with people.
* Some of those things we store away in some hidden place… where they cannot be seen. But we are only fooling ourselves - they always have a way to creep back up to the forefront wanting to play an important role in how we behave in private, in the family and in public such as in church and at our work place. That baggage almost seems to have a personality of its own. It encumbers our freedom, hinders our progress and impedes our development. When our baggage gets too heavy we desperately need to find reprieve, and if we do not take it to Christ and experience the peace He offers, than we will find other ways to get rid of it, at least for a while. That is where drugs, alcohol, overeating, unreasonable behavior and other inappropriate behaviors sneak into our lives. So, here’s some baggage we all need to do away with from our lives:
A. Intellectual baggage – Maybe you receiving too much information that conflicts with your beliefs and does not allow you to think clearly. Many of the books we read and movies we watch are nothing more than worldly wisdom – if we believe what they say we are led down the wrong path. If the intellectual baggage you are carrying hinders your peace and progress, get rid of it! The apostle Paul often points to the simplicity of being in Christ. Intellectual baggage may fill out minds with useless, false, and prejudicial information. Think those things of God!
B. Emotional baggage- Emotions are powerful, they drive us, but often they drain us. They motivate us, excite us but they can also deflate us & lead us to depression. The Bible speaks of controlling our emotions, through self-discipline. Anger, wrath, envy, jealously & bitterness are improper emotions & they are a difficult burden to bear. Paul often told his readers to “put off” these things. Get rid of the emotional baggage that is hindering & harming your relationships!
C. Behavioral baggage- Too often we justify bad behavior by saying things like, “that’s just the way I am. I’m only human.” God wants us to model our lives after Jesus: To live as He lived; to walk as He walked; to talk as He talked. He gave us a behavioral example. When we weigh ourselves down with sins, with habits that hurt us, and with addictions that alter our minds, injure our emotions and harm our bodies, we have acquired baggage that we need to unload.
* All of these things we carry around have to do with our spiritual life. They hinder our relationships - with God and with people. So… unload. Let Christ have your baggage. “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” It will make your journey here easier.
* No need for a u-haul truck to take your stuff around anymore. Leave it all at the feet of the cross! So, what is in your baggage? What are you carrying up and down the roads of life?
* We are told: “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Co 5:17.
* God bless us all. Your pastor, Don Sonntag
“And let the peace [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] that comes from Christ rule in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” Colossians 3:15
* Most of us have lots of stuff… When we move from one place to the next, we pick it all up and take it all along. As time passes we accumulate more and more. Some of those things we can see, others… well, they are unseen, but you can bet they are there. Most often the concealed things are the heaviest to lug around, much heavier than the old things that are in our attics or basements.
* What are we talking about? People and their life’s clutter! It is amazing how certain things can debilitate us and in some instances completely incapacitate us as we are trying to reach our potential... As we grow older we realize that not fulfilling our dreams and potentials severely damages us as God’s people.
* The baggage we carry along in life has a lot of influence on how we live daily, how we act in private and in public. In will affect the way we interact with people.
* Some of those things we store away in some hidden place… where they cannot be seen. But we are only fooling ourselves - they always have a way to creep back up to the forefront wanting to play an important role in how we behave in private, in the family and in public such as in church and at our work place. That baggage almost seems to have a personality of its own. It encumbers our freedom, hinders our progress and impedes our development. When our baggage gets too heavy we desperately need to find reprieve, and if we do not take it to Christ and experience the peace He offers, than we will find other ways to get rid of it, at least for a while. That is where drugs, alcohol, overeating, unreasonable behavior and other inappropriate behaviors sneak into our lives. So, here’s some baggage we all need to do away with from our lives:
A. Intellectual baggage – Maybe you receiving too much information that conflicts with your beliefs and does not allow you to think clearly. Many of the books we read and movies we watch are nothing more than worldly wisdom – if we believe what they say we are led down the wrong path. If the intellectual baggage you are carrying hinders your peace and progress, get rid of it! The apostle Paul often points to the simplicity of being in Christ. Intellectual baggage may fill out minds with useless, false, and prejudicial information. Think those things of God!
B. Emotional baggage- Emotions are powerful, they drive us, but often they drain us. They motivate us, excite us but they can also deflate us & lead us to depression. The Bible speaks of controlling our emotions, through self-discipline. Anger, wrath, envy, jealously & bitterness are improper emotions & they are a difficult burden to bear. Paul often told his readers to “put off” these things. Get rid of the emotional baggage that is hindering & harming your relationships!
C. Behavioral baggage- Too often we justify bad behavior by saying things like, “that’s just the way I am. I’m only human.” God wants us to model our lives after Jesus: To live as He lived; to walk as He walked; to talk as He talked. He gave us a behavioral example. When we weigh ourselves down with sins, with habits that hurt us, and with addictions that alter our minds, injure our emotions and harm our bodies, we have acquired baggage that we need to unload.
* All of these things we carry around have to do with our spiritual life. They hinder our relationships - with God and with people. So… unload. Let Christ have your baggage. “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” It will make your journey here easier.
* No need for a u-haul truck to take your stuff around anymore. Leave it all at the feet of the cross! So, what is in your baggage? What are you carrying up and down the roads of life?
* We are told: “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Co 5:17.
* God bless us all. Your pastor, Don Sonntag