Think back to the last time you were at the airport.  When you arrived, I’m sure you were lugging all of your baggage with you until you finally made it to the check-in counter.  Then, you left it with the airline agent and proceeded toward security with only your carry on bags in hand.  Wasn’t it a relief to be rid of the baggage that weighed you down?  If you’re like me, you probably felt free, or even light as a feather.  Why?  All because you gave your luggage to someone else and left it with them.

The luggage that we carry with us on vacation is much like our burdens that we carry around in life.  We may be concerned because we do not have sufficient funds to pay the rent.  Or we may be distressed over a bare cupboard in the kitchen.  There may be a desperate need for new tires, an air conditioner, or even a home to live in.  Or maybe we are dealing with an emotional or mental burden, such as the feeling of depression, loneliness, or hopelessness.  So many burdens, yet we continue to carry them around with us, struggling through each day.
Sometimes, we go to church on Sunday, kneel at the altar, and pray for God to take our burdens.  We set our burdens on the altar rail.  We feel so much better and we begin to see a ray of hope begins to shine through the clouds that have been lingering overhead.  As the vocalist sings these lyrics, “Take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there,” we make a solemn commitment to God that we will no longer attempt to carry our burdens alone.  Everything seems brighter and we know that things will be better.  That is, until we see the mess we have made, leaving our burdens all over the altar.  The moment we stand up, we start picking them back up, stuffing them into our pockets or pocketbooks.  We've carried them so long that they have essentially become a part of who we are, albeit a negative part.  It’s so easy for us to try to take things into our own hands.  Instead, God wants us to leave it all in His hands.
What about you, friend? Perhaps you are newly widowed, divorced, or separated. Your child may be ill. You may feel like you are at the end of your rope with everything that is going on in your life at this very moment. The baggage you carry is getting too heavy. You feel like you will collapse under the weight. You simply do not know what to do. I want to encourage you right now to call on the name that is above every name. Call on the name of Jesus Christ. He will take your burdens. He will lighten your load. He will renew your mind, restore your joy, and reveal to you abundant life.

Our Heavenly Father does not want you to carry your burdens.  He does not want you to live in worry, fear, or despair.  He wants you to live a life of joy, peace, and grace.  Jesus Christ gave His life on the cross just so our sins could be forgiven.  He gave His all just so you could live a life free from sin, free from worry, free from everything that weighs you down.  He does not want you to be lugging around an enormous amount of baggage.  Give Him your baggage, big or small.  Give Him your worries and cares.  I Peter 5:7 says to cast all of your cares on Him because He cares for you.  Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, loves you more than you could ever imagine.  He cares for you.  He wants to help you.  Don’t pick up your burdens like you pick up your luggage from baggage claim.  Leave them on the altar.  Hand them over to Jesus.  Live a life free from baggage, so you can be abundantly free!

In Christ’s Love,
Jennifer