Experienced travelers know the importance of traveling light. Packing only the bare essentials. In our journeys, traveling as spiritual pilgrims, are we packing too much: What do you have now that you will need in Heaven? That’s it, nothing. It will all be provided for us on arrival.
Toting around extra baggage will wear us out and slow us down. Hebrews 12-1, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” Laying aside every weight means letting go of those things that hinder us in the service of God and rob us of our joy. You may need to let go of an extra job, hobby or just lessen the projects that take away your quality time with the Lord. Slim Fast says, “Lose weight feel great.” That’s not a bad motto for Christians. Living on less will free up our affection for God. Matthew 6:19-21, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” The weights may seem important and necessary, but are they really? You can’t take everything in an overnight bag.
We also need to let go of the sin that so easily besets us. Be sure you don’t want to be packing around some old unconfessed sins. To lighten the load we need to confess and to forsake them. I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” A daily cleansing is good for the body and the soul.
Holding on to and the covering up of our sins is the making of a defeated Christian. Proverbs 28:13, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Sin is sin, but some seems to be more infectious and harder to let go of. Such as critical unforgiving spirit, doubt and unbelief and fear that brings worry. Whatever the sin we need to let go of it. There’s not enough room in our overnight bag for sin and weights that easily besets us.
So what should we pack? In our overnight bag we should pack God’s handbook on life, the Bible, patience learned through trials and tribulations, memories of past victories, love for God and others, a faith in God that’s not wavering and the peace of God that passeth all understanding.
We may be staying overnight, but joy comes in the morning. Psalms 30:5b “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
Anchor Baptist Church
456 Jamison Rd.
Washington Court House, OH 43160
Anchorbaptistministries.com (740)333-7777
