Every pier in most developing countries have porters that help ship passengers carry their baggage. They carry all the load you have, put it in carts, and deposit your bags to the counter so that you would not have to bother with it during your voyage, and just claim them when you get to your destination.
As our Savior and Redeemer, our Lord Jesus Christ, offers to carry the heavy load of our burdensome baggage in life. He especially wants us to entrust to Him our excess baggage that slows us down in our life journey: our regrets, resentments, hatred, disappointments, excessive introspection, anxieties, sin, guilt and shame.
All these excesses hinder us from journeying closer with the Lord, and as we take on His offer to carry it for us, we can move about freely in growing our faith.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
So how does the Lord take away the sin, guilt, and shame that weighs us down? Well, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Personal Savior, we receive from Him the Holy Spirit that allows us to no longer be enslaved by sin. As we confess our sins and believe that He is our redeemer, we get to be cleansed.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
Since we are already at peace with God, and have been assured of His forgiveness, we no longer bear the guilt of being sinful. We no longer have to live in the shame that came with the sin that previously enslaved us.
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:17
And as we stand free from the sin and the shame, our guilt will also be washed away. We are now assured that we can start anew and try our best to live a life of obedience to God.
“Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy.” Isaiah 61:7
So how about the baggage that Jesus took from us? Well, just like the bags that the porter offered to carry for us, our emotional and spiritual baggage will be returned to us too. HOWEVER, unlike before, it will no longer weigh us down. Instead, it will be lighter for us and can also be repurposed. What was once a heavy baggage of misery, will now be the source of inspiration for the ministry that we will live out. From it we can draw strength to help others who are still going through the tumults of guilt, shame, and sin.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Romans 8:1-11 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Have you given your baggage to the Lord? Has it returned to you so that you can help out others too?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you for offering to carry my excess baggage of emotional pain, guilt and shame. I love you my Lord, and I truly am grateful for your mercy and comfort. Help me pay it forward to others who also need to know about your redeeming love. Amen.
