Baggage Claim
>> Monday, August 2, 2010
About two weeks ago, I heard a message that really hit home. It was like I was that kid in the outfield not really paying attention to the game and a ball hit me right between the eyes. I've been mulling over it for the last two weeks and I'm finally figuring out just how to put it into words. Here goes nothing:
We all have baggage. and a lot of it. Some small, some big. Not just sin, although that's definitely part of it, but also pain, secrets, relationships, etc. The list could go on forever. Me? I've spent my whole life trying to get rid of my baggage, so to speak. Shoving it as far away as I can, or searching for ways to make it go away, instead of facing it head on. Instead of claiming it.
That Tuesday night at Kairos, Pastor Mike shed a whole new light for me on it with just this one little statement.
"It's only through a relationship with Christ that you can have the courage to face your baggage in the correct way...claiming it & opening it up with Christ so that you don't have to fear it any longer." -Mike Glenn
I love those last eight words: "you don't have to fear it any longer". You see, spending our whole lives pushing it aside and not dealing with it never solves anything. It's only when we pull that baggage out from where ever we're hiding it and open it along side Christ and CLAIM it that we find healing. The sins, the lies, the hurt and pain, the regret. We don't have to fear it anymore. We were never meant to fear it. Fearing it only leads to it having control over us. Claiming it and facing it leads to freedom.
Claiming our baggage isn't broadcasting our baggage to the world. It's something very intimate between Christ and His child. A one-on-one situation. Christ opens our baggage, pulls out the mess that inside and an almost silent "Yes...that's mine" is murmured from the lips of His child. Then it's done. The past is faced...we have no reason to fear it any longer.
We all have baggage. and a lot of it. Some small, some big. Not just sin, although that's definitely part of it, but also pain, secrets, relationships, etc. The list could go on forever. Me? I've spent my whole life trying to get rid of my baggage, so to speak. Shoving it as far away as I can, or searching for ways to make it go away, instead of facing it head on. Instead of claiming it.
That Tuesday night at Kairos, Pastor Mike shed a whole new light for me on it with just this one little statement.
"It's only through a relationship with Christ that you can have the courage to face your baggage in the correct way...claiming it & opening it up with Christ so that you don't have to fear it any longer." -Mike Glenn
I love those last eight words: "you don't have to fear it any longer". You see, spending our whole lives pushing it aside and not dealing with it never solves anything. It's only when we pull that baggage out from where ever we're hiding it and open it along side Christ and CLAIM it that we find healing. The sins, the lies, the hurt and pain, the regret. We don't have to fear it anymore. We were never meant to fear it. Fearing it only leads to it having control over us. Claiming it and facing it leads to freedom.
Claiming our baggage isn't broadcasting our baggage to the world. It's something very intimate between Christ and His child. A one-on-one situation. Christ opens our baggage, pulls out the mess that inside and an almost silent "Yes...that's mine" is murmured from the lips of His child. Then it's done. The past is faced...we have no reason to fear it any longer.
Me too.
Romans 8:15-18
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
So I'm on a new little journey now. Baggage Claim can take a little longer than we like sometimes. There's a lot of bags to sort through but the end will be worth it.
Love. Love. Love.
Katie
1 comments:
Awe that's really good Katie...Made me cry a little.
Thanks I needed to hear that:) or read it technically lol
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