Unclaimed Baggage

Scriptures: Matthew 11:28-30, Hebrews 12:1

Recognizing Your Baggage

What is unclaimed baggage? It is baggage that arrives and is not promptly claimed by the physical owner. Webster’s Dictionary describes it as “past experiences or long-held ideas regarded as burdens and impediments.” 

When flying commercially, upon arrival, you go to “Baggage Claim” if you checked in baggage. You must look for your bag/s, and once recognized, you pull them off the carousel to take with you. Sometimes, those bags can be so heavy that you may need assistance. 

Learning to pack our loads lighter and to rest (Matthew 11:28-30) can make all the difference. 

We all need a respite from the complex and unpleasant things we encounter. God’s plan for us is to walk in the freedom that only He can provide in these situations. We cannot receive that freedom if we fail to recognize the baggage weighing us down. One cannot remedy a problem if there is denial that there is one. 

Not only must we recognize the issues at hand, but once the reality is manifested, we must claim that baggage, unpack it, surrender it to the one who makes all things new, and move forward baggage-free with the help of Jesus. Then, we experience amazing freedom that empowers us to live our lives to the fullest. 

We are often carrying heavy weights in multiple bags not meant for us. This struggle can look different for each of us, but we are not alone. 

Encumbrance and sin can prevent us from having the weights lifted. Encumbrance is anything that keeps us from effectively living the Christian life. We are instructed in Scripture to lay all these weights aside. (Hebrews 12:1)

Some examples of these weights may be: 

Poor self-image, indecision, negative attitude, perfectionism, fear of failure, lack of self-control, defeatist attitude, feelings of rejection, comparison, busyness, continually on guard, unforgiveness, critical spirit, pride, jealousy, greed, deceit, anger, bitterness, slander, love of money, selfishness, lusts, idolatry, unbelief, health issues, and abuse. 

Learning to pack our loads lighter, unload, and rest are the ideal positions to walk in. 

PRAYER:

Jesus, Your yolk is easy, and Your burden is light. Please help me recognize my personal baggage, start unpacking it and be set free. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Scriptures: Genesis 32:24-32, Acts 7:9-10, Genesis 39:4, Genesis 39:21, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Matthew 11:28-30

Claiming Your Baggage

Claiming baggage can be complex. Going to the carousel at the airport and waiting for all those bags to start dropping and moving around, many can look alike. You may have to check a tag to see if it’s yours. You may be keenly aware of your bag if you are like me. I purposefully get bright bags and put bright ribbons on them to distinguish them from others, making it easier for me to claim. 

My bags have been so heavily packed at times that I have had to wrestle with them to claim them and pull them off the carousel. I might even need to seek assistance to lift those heavy loads off. 

We are sometimes required to “wrestle with God” to get where we need to be. There are many instances in Scripture where people wrestled with God. Jacob, for example, had a strained relationship with his brother, and he had to wrestle with God to get what he longed for. He persevered throughout the night, wrestling with God until he encountered the desired outcome. (Gen. 32:24-32) 

Jacob’s son Joseph also wrestled with God. Remember what his brothers did to him and how much he had to overcome? Joseph’s perseverance in wrestling with God through his trials gained him more favor. 

Moses, Paul and Silas, Esther, Job, and Noah are others who wrestled with God to gain God’s favor. 

There are some ways that we can wrestle with God to obtain that favor and get our baggage claimed: 

Fasting in Prayer. 

Pray without ceasing. 

Joining forces with other people of God to intercede for the desired will of God. 

Sing praise! Sing through the night, if you must! 

Working in a position you don’t necessarily want to, but must in order to get where you need to be.

Maintaining a kind and righteous attitude before God and man even when things are difficult. 

Stepping out in faith, believing that God is with you … aka do what He has called you to, scared or not. 

PRAYER:

Jesus, help me wrestle in prayer, praise, and faith with You to claim my own baggage. Help me recognize and unload this baggage that You did not mean for me to carry alone. Show me a better way. Your yoke is easy, and Your burden is light. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Scriptures: Luke 10:41-42, Matthew 11:28-30, Psalms 32:8, Psalms 73:24, Isaiah 58:11, Proverbs 3:6

Unpacking Your Baggage

The dreaded after-travel task: unpacking. Putting things away where they belong after a long journey can be daunting. It doesn’t always seem as bad packing things as unpacking them, right? 

It’s especially troublesome when you overpack to start with, come home with more things than you left with, and then have to figure out what to do with these items. 

So is our personal, emotional, physical, and mental baggage. It can be difficult to sort through and put away where it belongs, especially if it’s a lot. Martha was a lot. She put more stress on herself than she had to. (Luke 10:41-42) Martha’s sister Mary, however, knew what was better … RESTING AT THE FEET OF JESUS. 

Ever see those car tags that say, “Jesus is my Co-Pilot?” I cringe when I see them. If you follow Christ, He’d better be your Primary Pilot, Commander-in-Chief, and Master of all. He has to be the head and not the tail. When Jesus is at the helm of your ship, you have no need for worry or fear. He’s in charge. The Holy Spirit will have His way whether you give Him His place in your life or not, so it’s best to put Him on the throne of your life, where He belongs. He can then help you to unpack your baggage like any wonderful father would. (Matthew 11:28-30)

Take inventory as you begin to pray about unpacking your load/s. Ask God to guide you in what is necessary and unnecessary. Make a list (it may be lengthy) of what’s been weighing you down. Ask for forgiveness in any area where you’ve picked up more to carry than GOD has instructed you to carry. 

Choose to lay the unnecessary things at the foot of the cross. You must also choose not to pick those things back up if you want to walk in the freedom that comes from letting Christ guide you. (Psalm 32:8, Psalm 73:24, Isa. 58:11) In all things, acknowledge God. He will direct your paths! (Proverbs 3:6)

PRAYER:

Holy Spirit, I need your help discerning. I need you to show me where I have taken on more than I should and help me lay those things down at your feet, where they belong. Guide me in a way that is everlasting and healthy to my soul. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Scriptures: Psalms 4:3, 1 Peter 2:9, James 4:7-10, Matthew 11:28-30, 1 Peter 5:7, Ephesians 4:21-24

Surrendering Your Baggage

Surrendering is a strong verb. It’s a very important word, especially concerning the things of God. Surrender is not always looked at as “the thing to do” in our society. Yet God requires it of each and every one of us. Daily. Surrender means to cease resistance and submit to authority. Our ultimate authority, as believers, is Jesus Christ. We are to be set apart from the rest of the world. (Psa. 4:3, 1 Peter 2:9)

So, what might it look like to surrender your baggage? Humbling ourselves and submitting to the authority of God is the best start. 

If you’ve recognized, claimed, and unpacked that baggage … then what? You must allow the proper owner of that baggage to stake His claim on it. We were not meant to carry these loads we have been carrying. Jesus paid the ultimate price to free us from these burdens! He tells us to surrender ALL. (James 4:7-10, Matt. 11:28-30, 1 Peter 5:7)

LAY ASIDE the weights that easily take you down the wrong path and weary you needlessly. We are told multiple times in Scripture to lay aside our weights and to “put off” the old man. (Hebrews 12:1a, James 1:21, John 8:36, Eph. 4:21-24)

Nothing is more freeing than recognizing that you’re not in control and that it was never yours to attempt to begin with. Allowing God to carry your load and trusting Him with all the big (and littlest) cares in life changes the trajectory of your course every time in every circumstance and every situation. Somehow, you feel lighter, walk in freedom, and see the light at the end of the dark tunnel you’ve been traveling. There’s hope, and it has a name. 

It’s time to release your bags to the one who makes everything new! (Rev. 21:5)

PRAYER:

Jesus, your yoke is easy and your burden is light. Give me a surrendering heart that I will trust you with my heavy load and leave it with you. You alone are capable, able, and willing to lift these loads. I submit to your plan and purpose now. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Scriptures: Philippians 1:9, Matthew 6:34, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Matthew 28:18, Colossians 1:17

Moving Forward Without The Baggage

Moving forward can be scary sometimes, especially if it involves going in a completely different direction than you’ve ever been. We were made to walk in confidence, assurance, and affirmation from God’s Word and to stand tall in the light of God’s love. We were made specifically to share the gospel and express the creator’s love, concern, and desire to see souls saved from the depths of hell. 

Going forward without your baggage won’t mean you won’t be susceptible to picking up another bag or two. And sometimes, that’s OK. You have to remember and apply the process of “RCUSM.” (Recognize, Claim, Unpack, Surrender, and Move) Don’t get stuck picking up load after load again, only to find yourself completely exhausted and useless to the kingdom of God. 

It’s important that we pray for discernment and wisdom to know when it’s OK to carry a load (temporarily) and when it’s not. (Phil 1:9)

It’s important that we gear ourselves toward choosing never to remember those old bags again, just as Jesus chose to bury our sins in the depths of the sea, “choosing” never to remember them again. We must apply the old saying, “Let go and let God.” 

LET HIM handle today’s issues. (Matt. 6:34)

LET HIM control your life moving forward. (2 Cor. 12:9, Matt. 28:18)

LET HIM be enough. (Col. 1:17)

Commit to memory Matthew 11:28:30 KJV:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

PRAYER:

God, I want you in full control because You know what’s best for me, and you deserve it rightfully. Help me obtain discernment, wisdom, and knowledge as I grow in You. May I seek You in all things. May I not pick up a load that is not of You and gladly pick up what is with a grateful and glad heart. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.