Baggage

I was just looking at a print I have hanging on my stairway wall. It depicts a man standing on a hill with two bags in his hands. On a hill in the distance is a cross. If you look closely at the hill the cross is on, you will find that it is made up of bags. There is darkness everywhere, except on the hill of baggage with the cross. There is a bright light shining around that hill.

As I pondered this print, I thought about life. I thought of how we tend to stumble around in the darkness, carrying our baggage. We lug around anger, resentment, hurt, hate, etc., never thinking about the fact that God has provided a way for us to lay those burdens down. All we need to do is go to the foot of the cross and give them to Jesus. It really is that simple. Jesus is like one of those guys at the airport or in a fine hotel that rushes up and carries your baggage, except, instead of us paying Him; He has already paid the price Himself.

Then I thought about that hill. It was all our baggage that made it necessary for Jesus to go to the cross in the first place. He paid the ultimate price so we could be free of that baggage. How arrogant are we to try to hang on to that baggage, after the price has already been paid so Jesus could carry it for us. What conceit it takes for us to think we can handle that baggage better then Jesus. What pride we have in our own ability, all the while stumbling around in the darkness trying to carry all that baggage ourselves.

Isn’t it time you gave your baggage to Jesus? 1 Peter 2:24 (CEV) says, Christ carried the burden of our sins. He was nailed to the cross, so that we would stop sinning and start living right. By his cuts and bruises you are healed. Take your burdens to Jesus in prayer, give them to Him and trust him to carry them for you. Then enjoy basking in the light of His love and healing.