"Unloading your Baggage"

[crisipicada]

Unloading your baggage
Hebrews12:1-3,
12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

There are hindrances and burdens in my life that at times makes me feel incapable of doing so. Many things that had happened to me that instill in my mind and heart that until now I need to deal with. There so many things my family, friend, or people around me that seems to affect my life damaging my life. Many times I search my heart and try to figure out things why I feel this way, by the grace of God, I read His Word daily, pray for guidance, as much as possible attend church, giving tithes, name it, but still there are hindrances in my heart that seems I cannot answer.

There are things that defeat our life and these hinder our walk with the Lord. I remember one time that when I had quarrel with family members, he or she always point out that, “Because of you, you are like that or you are like this…” “You are always a failure in life and you will never grow up. This is what we call poor image. Having poor image is not good at all. It feels bad about ourselves and we deprived ourselves to do good because of having feeling poor image.

I remember my elder brother, Jonathan. Since am small and short, he seems so negative about myself. He seems to divert what I want to do, and say that “it won’t work or I can do it. Many times he discourage me and it affects my life to do what is positive things. Are you surrounded with people who always say negative about yourself or are you the person say negative to someone else? It will hinder someone’s life to be productive and achieve things in life because of being negative person. Having defeatist Attitude is not good at all. It damaged life. Our eldest sister is a single mom. My two elder brothers cannot accept her as a sister who make that mistake. They said, she should set as an example and do what is right. Having a son as a single woman is not a good testimony. They reject my sister of having that son. Rejecting someone also can cause damage to life. Feeling of rejection, because you are always a failure will damage the life of a person instead of moving a good life. We all make mistakes since we are human being. How many people reject someone who has been experience divorce? The feeling of being rejected is not a good attitude, instead we should be there for someone who have been hurt so badly and help them to start a good life again. What is important is to start a new life and forget everything. What is important now is what is the future and not the past. We cannot change the past but we can start a good start and life a life anew with hope to have a good future in the years to come.

My late father was so perfectionist, he wanted things to be right and good. He seems cannot accept fault. He always said, if you cannot do it right, never do it anymore. I grew up with fear and discouragement about my late father. I feel that I wont accomplish something because of his being perfectionism. Because of this, it affects my life so much that hinders my life and feel as what I am. I need to be true about myself and not to live within the expectation of people. Doing things as you can, is what more important than to do things as perfect as people expect you to do, after all you will never accomplished things. Do you feel that way too? Not only that, I have fear of failure . Failure of things that I am afraid that life won’t be good. Or fear of not succeeding things good if I will pursue this or that. That is why I am afraid of many things. Being not married until now is somehow I fear of. Why? Because I see so many heartaches and pains in many marriages. I do not want to feel that also. I have fear that the man I will get married will not treat me as they treated me during courtship. That is why it needs so much to know well the person before getting into a romantic relationship. True color will be seen in friendship. I have fear that the man whom I will marry someday is not totally committed to marriage, and have not faith to trust God, who the one can only give peace and joy in life. There are so many things that I feel also, there are “What if’s that I am thinking”, and this is what I need to deal with. I need to trust the Lord more for this issue in my life. How about you? Do you have fear of failure in life? This is one that hinders successes in life. Another thing is procrastination. I have the ability to delay things in life wherein I will do it later than now. I remember it right, my father always advise me to do things what has to be done right now because tomorrow might not come. He always instill in my heart that, the bridge you will soon passes by today, wont be the same bridge tomorrow? I do not understand that but later on I understand because it is about the water that flows in the river in not the same today compare tomorrow. But I already deal with this. I need to do things right away what must be done right away.

I have a hard time controlling my self. I admit this because I am so much emotional. Many times I did not succeed in many task because of lack of self control. Just like my piano lesson, I must have self control of doing it and be persistent on it but there are so many distractions in life – like family problem, work etc. I need to have self control . How many of you drift your thinking from one thing to another and that you cannot concentrate of what you are doing? Because of this, we cannot accomplish things. I for one accept that I lack concentration in life. For some of us have difficulty to remain positive in life. WE always get discourage and have negative attitude about life. If things go bad, we become so negative that this is life all about and that it hinders our success in life. We must get rid of negativism because it will always influence our life negatively. Sometimes, I feel so much suspicious. I would think why people doing this and doing that to me. But God deal this in my heart. I become thankful to the Lord that people I met have giving me favor and I am thankful to the Lord for it. Are you so much suspicious to anything or anyone? This is not a good attitude. How many of us cannot decide things to do? How many of us who are so indecisive in life? We are so much uncertain in life and we cannot decide what to do. Because of this, we miss the opportunity that comes along to us. We miss chance to be happy and to enjoy life. We must have decided and take a risk, as much as we know that it is right and we are doing things for the glory of God.

In Hebrews 12:1-3, it speaks about “the sin” that hinders our walk in life as Christian. It is important to be very true to ourselves and seek the contents of our hearts. These are the questions to be answered with sincerity.
1. What are the primary area of weakness in your life? Do you easily get discouraged? Easily angered?
2. What are the things that you are easily tempted to? Like, you do easily make compromise? Lie to anyone or the temptation of lust?
3. What are the things that we must continually guard against? Are you easily get burst out if things going bad? Are you easily mad at things without reason?
4. What are the things that you have difficult to resist? You must be honest about this and list on a paper.
5. What are the things that ensnares you? Things that trap you
6. What are the things that divide your mind?
7. What are the things that hinders your relationship with others?
8. What are things that surface when you pray? Why you cannot concentrate when you pray?
9. What are the things that strike out your self respect?
10. What are the things that hinders your relationship with God? Are there sins unconfessed? Are there sins that you cannot surrender?

There are sins that entangling us. These are un-forgiveness – this is so much damaging yourself. Also having a critical spirit, jealousy, greed, pride, deceit, lust, unbelief, anger, bitterness, slander, love of money and idolatry. We become jealous because we do want what others have. We always react when someone has and we do not have and wanted all. Being greedy is not good. Having pride will make us low to the sight of man and God, telling half truth is deceit and that is sin. In many countries today promote pornography. The love and lust are interchangeable words. Lust is desire out of control. We must deal with it. Having unbelief that God will supply all our needs or God loves us will feel us discontentment. Anger will always destroy our relationship with someone and to God. Bitterness is a bad feeling wherein we cannot be loved or do not accept love. Telling something not true is so damaging, that is why we must not slander. The love of money is the root of all evil so we must search our hearts about it. Anything that you put about God is IDOLATRY. And God hates idolatry. We must put God first in everything, acknowledging Him in every area of our life – relationships, work, family, friendship, everything.

There are consequences of these baggage that we have. There are
1. Distraction
2. Divides our minds
3. Gets us out of tract
4. Drains our energy
5. Slows the pace of spiritual growth
6. Causes us to stumble, disqualify us for any task
7. Destructive

I learned that to handle this baggage that we have, we must admit the encumbrance in our life. We must pray that we have it in heart and we want to set of free from it/them. Admit the entangling sin our life. If you have identified the sins that you have, then it is good to be honest with God about it. Take responsibility for it. To have responsibility about it is to keep asking God to get rid of it and claim is His power to heal your hearts and mind about these sins. Make a definite decision to deal with it. We must have decided right away that slows our relationship with God because of these sins that entangles us. We must lay aside . In Phil. 4:13, it says, we can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth us. We cannot win the walk with God if we have these entangling sin in our lives. We must have faith in Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to lay aside all those entangling us. God has His best plan for us, we do not need these sufferings, and we can have a good life in Christ. It can save any relationships and responsibilities God has given us.

We must have endurance ( 3 times mentioned) - have to work out it , not to give up and not to quit but must have deal it in our lives. Why we are not happy because we have these in our heart inadequacy and unfruitful in life.

I am so happy to share this to you about what I have learned about this lesson. Thank you for the pastors and the people around me who really encourage me to be on tract with my life in God. Thank you so much for helping me to do what is right inspite of many offers and temptation this world has to offer and been offered. Only in Christ we can have peace and joy.

[red]

I thought unloading baggage when traveling ha ha!
Well, unloading baggage is important so you have stuff to use on trip. Haha. Seriously, i had experienced it too. You cant move on when you have grudges. And yes true you be distracted alot. Cant concentrate yes thats true too. Well, i overcame all that when i found Christ in my life. I let go everything and asked forgiveness. Then life became good and i felt so light and happy. I was able to focus more and got inspired. In daily living i give thanks and ask for guidance. Secret is pray and try live perfectly like Christ. Its a long process to live perfectly like Christ as long as we live. Sound impossible but you can if you will it.

[Edwin]

Yes, the load of sin is like baggage. The older we get and the longer we live the heavier the weight of sin becomes if we don't find a way to get rid of it. Yes, we do add to our sins, and our guilt increases as we live. The only way out of this is to recognize that we are sinner, ask God to forgive us for Jesus sake, and to remove our sin from us. He has promised to wash us white as snow, and make all things new. He has promised to remove our sin from us as far as the east is from the west. He has promised, "I will remember your sin against you no more! God has mercy on us and He has extended his grace towards us. He died for us while we were yet sinners. God hates the sin, but He loves the sinner!

When I was in Bible College as a 20 something year old student we had an instructor who started out in Wales working in the coal mines. Then he became a great revival preacher, eventually migrating to Canada, and ended up teaching in the Bible College. We all looked up to him as someone really important and beyond sin. He told us that he came to the foot of the cross just like every other sinner to find mercy and grace from God. He told us that he couldn't remind God of how good he was, and how many wonderful things he had done for the Lord, but he came begging mercy, "God be merciful to me a sinner." He was telling that it was not all the good things that he had done, but it was God who was good and had saved him and given him eternal life.

I agree with both of you, Red and Crisi! We have baggage often that hinders us that we need to get rid of. I struggle with being able to forgive people who have wronged me. I know I need to forgive them and forget their offenses, but it is not easy. I think I have won the victory, and then something happens that triggers some old feelings, and here I am right back into unforgiveness. It is almost as if I enjoy thinking about the bad things people have done to me, but no I don't enjoy it, and it destroys me. Carol tells me give it all to Jesus, and you will be a very happy person! Well, I am still working on it. She tells me that she has had to be forgiving when she didn't feel like it too, and I think she has done a good job of it. We need to ask Jesus to help us, to take our heavy burden; "take it to the Lord and leave it there!" We can do it!

[wantingmore]

You are not only good writer crisipicada you have the looks, too. Are you picky?

[Edwin]

What we need is a touch from the Master's Hand, the Hand of Jesus! This is a song that I play on the piano periodically, and it has a wonderful message. When we have a heavy burden we need the hand of Jesus to touch us!

He Touched Me
Shackled by a heavy burden
'Neath a load of guilt and shame
Then the hand of Jesus touched me
And now I am no longer the same

For He touched me, He touched me
What wonderful joy that floods my soul
Something happened and now I know
He touched me and made me whole


Oh since I met this blessed Savior
And since he cleaned and made me whole
Oh I never cease, never cease to praise Him
I'll shout it while eternity rolls

Oh He touched me, oh He touched me
And oh what a joy that floods my soul
Something happened and now I know
He touched me and made me whole.

Jesus wants to bear our heavy burdens. He wants us to unload our baggage, and let Him help us with it!

[crisipicada]

To run the race, we must put all the baggage that we have. Running the race, you must wear light shirt and shorts. It is also encourage to wear shoes that is light or nothing at all when you run the race.

Like in our Christian life, there are baggage in our hearts that affects our life. These are anger, resentment, sadness, loneliness. These are some of the things that hinders our life to live a happy life. these divides our minds and our relationship to each other and to God is not right. That is why we must lay aside every encumbrance that easily beset us.

[Edwin]

Crisi, did you say, "Wear shoes...or nothing at all when you run the race?" I know you didn't say that, but I couldn't resist! I think "Pilgrim" in "Pilgrim's Progress" was carrying a heavy load! Anger, resentment, sadness, loneliness, are some baggages that need to be unloaded to run the race. You are right, when running you need to be as light as possible. When my Dad got older he bought the lightest shoes he could find to do his work. I wear a comfortable summer western style, wide, round toe work boot every where I go. I work in it, then I grease them so they look nice for town or church. That way they last longer, and look nicer at the same time. That is what I wear when I am walking with the doggies. During the winter I wear military micky boots that they made to jump out of airplanes with. The boots actually have an air bladder that can be pumped up to make the impact on the ground less stressful. I never load them with air as I am not jumping out of airplanes. They are large and heavy, so I can't walk as fast with them on, but it beats getting my feet wet and cold from the snow. My coats that I bundle up with also keep me from moving as fast, but that is okay, because at least I am warm, comfortable, and safe. Yes, lay aside all those weights and run the race!

[mtlaurel530]

Hello,
You appear to be young,beautiful and intelligent.You yourself have the power to lift up yourself with God's help and guidance.Blaming and dwelling on the past defeats you.It's true that one learns lessons but over thinking and over analyzing is like sitting in a rocking chair without anywhere to go.Time to go forward.Life is so short,so make the best out of everything.Most times,when we think of other people instead of ourselves,think of the many people who have less opportunities than us,our problems are not that important.as carl sagan said,we are a mere pale blue dot in this vast universe.
Goodluck to you...

[Edwin]

When I went to the Philippines in 2010 I did unload some baggage! Before we left our friends told me how much I was allowed to take, but they didn't tell me that domestic flight would not allow that much baggage. Someone on this forum suggested that I might should check into the requirements for what was allowed on domestic flight, but I thought my friends would tell me that if I had to be concerned about it. When we flew from Manila to Dumaguete, we put our overweight on the cargo flight which worked great. When we went to fly back to Manila, my friends had unloaded all their extra at their house, so I was the only one that had too much baggage. We made a trip to the Dumaguete airport with my extra bag and weight, but I locked it, and put the key in another bag that I didn't have with me. The guy was gone who ran the luggage through, so without being able to open it, we hauled it back home. There that evening I gave away a lot of my heavier things to my friend's filipina's family, and since my friends had very little luggage or weight I was able to put some of mine over one theirs, and that way we were good to take it with us to the check in area for luggage. Sometimes you just have to unload some of your baggage, and I was very happy to bless this family with what I couldn't take with me, as I had enough without it anyway. I will be smarter next time I am taking a domestic flight, and I will not take as much, because I didn't need it anyway. For any of you who will be traveling in the Philippines be aware that you are only allowed about half for domestic flight what you are allowed for international flight. It might make your life easier and happier!

[crisipicada]

Hello,
You appear to be young,beautiful and intelligent.You yourself have the power to lift up yourself with God's help and guidance.Blaming and dwelling on the past defeats you.It's true that one learns lessons but over thinking and over analyzing is like sitting in a rocking chair without anywhere to go.Time to go forward.Life is so short,so make the best out of everything.Most times,when we think of other people instead of ourselves,think of the many people who have less opportunities than us,our problems are not that important.as carl sagan said,we are a mere pale blue dot in this vast universe.
Goodluck to you...

I am glad to read your post. I hope that you will enjoy writing here. It is really my desire that God will grant the desires of your heart according to His will.