In my purse I have: 2 books (yes, I am reading them both), a notebook, a camera, ipod, make-up bag (with no make-up in it???), my wallet, a couple of pens and highlighters. Sometimes my bag gets heavy and is a burden for me to carry, but I carry all this stuff around because I use it. Several times a day, everyday. But there are some things we are not meant to carry.
One of those things is fear. Fear is a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined. It causes your heart rate to increase and your blood pressure to rise. You may begin sweating or breathing rapidly. But 2 Timothy 1:7 says – For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Deuteronomy 31:8 says – “And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
We’re not to carry around fear because of our faith in God. Fear is caused by doubt and unbelief. And what do we have to fear? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Another bag we seem to carry is doubt. To doubt is to be uncertain or hesitate to believe. Remember when Jesus walked on water? He told Peter to come to Him. Peter stepped out of the boat and was walking on water toward Jesus. Then doubt crept into his heart, he began to sink, and he cried out of Jesus to save him. Matthew 14:31 – And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
In addition to fear and doubt, we also carry worry. Worry is defined as the tormenting of oneself with disturbing thoughts. Worry is also caused by doubt and unbelief. Jesus specifically tells us not to worry. And if you’re a child of God, why wouldn’t you want to do what Jesus says?
Matthew 6:25 – 26 – “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”
Some of us also carry a lot of regret. Regret is something that I feel is caused by satan himself. He constantly tries to remind us of the things we’ve done in our past. He does this so we will worry and be afraid, but once we have been cleansed by Jesus’ blood, we no longer have to regret our past and we are no longer condemned to death.
Romans 8:1 – There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
What baggage are you carrying? Fear, doubt, worry and regret are tools that the enemy uses to keep you from God. If satan can get you to feel these things, then you are not feeling the love, joy, peace, rest, power, authority and clarity that God has to offer.
In Matthew 11:28 – 30 Jesus says – “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Check your bags at the gate and allow God to be your baggage handler.
