I was just re-listening to the title track on “Release Me” the other day and recognizing that although the lyrics I wrote clearly acknowlege the fact that I’m letting my fears and failures hold me back from joyfully living out the life God designed me to lead (at least I’m not oblivious to the problem!), I’m still just “hoping [He’ll] release me,” and I’m not actively pursuing that release. Um, I’m thinking that this is an important realization – but where do I go from here?
It seems to me that everyone has baggage, and at some point, they’ll probably be motivated to unpack it and deal with the issues it represents. At that point , things can go one of two ways: people can unpack the issues, consider them, and put them right back where they came from, or people can take the battered, travel-worn issues they’ve been carrying around so long and decide to give them to someone else to carry (like I typically do when on trips with my husband…hehe). Which way do you usually choose?
More often than not, I can be found with eight suitcases, 5 carry-ons, and at least three overly large purses (at least in the intangible, emotional hang-ups sense…I don’t actually pack that much when I travel!) – and I definitely get weighed down by all that baggage (for me, the heaviest bag is the crushing sensation of not getting things right – ah, the joys of being a very imperfect perfectionist!). Trying to focus on God and all of the incredible blessings He’s bestowed on me and what I should be doing with them instead of dwelling on the many, many mistakes I make every day is an issue I’ve been carrying around with me for quite a while. All this lugging around is definitely slowing me down in my pursuit of Christ. (It’s time to find a sherpa…!)
What part of your life do you think holds you back and keeps you away from God? What have you found to be the best way to deal with your baggage? Do tell…I can use all the help I can get!
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