Baggage

Baggage. We all have it. We all deal with it. It is something that is part of every person’s life. It is also one of the most difficult things for many of us to deal with on a day-to-day basis.

Yesterday, as I was sitting and working, a show came on that I watch on and off. In the show, a young man was searching for the love of his life, and he was lamenting the fact that anyone he met seemed to have “baggage” that always got in the way. As the episode continued, he discovered that he too had baggage that he was trying to hide. When he finally opened up and shared, he discovered that the person he was with was there to help him.

As the episode ended, he said something that really stuck with me, “You see, everyone’s got some baggage. It’s part of life. But like anything else, it’s easier when someone gives you a hand with it.”

As I thought more and more about this, I was reminded of the verse in Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (ESV) As believers, we need to be there for one another. We need to help each other.

Many times in life, we do not like to share these things, these burdens, with each other. We go it alone and try to simply “put on the happy face”, and end up trying to walk the path and struggle on alone. God gave us a wonderful family in His body, and we need to be there to give those around us “a hand” with the baggage and burdens they are carrying.

Carrying a burden all alone is very hard. We need to be there to help others as they walk this path, and be there to walk with them and help them carry the load they are bearing. We also need to be sure that we are not trying push through and carry our struggles on our own. Find someone to share with, and let them help you with the burden you are carrying. Remember, aside from His body, we also have One who will never leave or forsake us, and One who will be there to help us carry that burden every day of our life.

Remember, you do not have to walk through life with your baggage alone. Find someone to help you bear that burden, and be one who is there to bear another’s burned, and so fulfill what He asks of us.