Extra Baggage

So then, with endurance, let’s also run the race that is laid out in front of us, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let’s throw off any extra baggage, get rid of the sin that trips us up, and fix our eyes on Jesus, faith’s pioneer and perfecter. (Hebrews 12:1-2, CEB)

Many years ago, Kirk and Jordan were flying out to the Midwest to visit our family. They were teenagers then, so while we offered packing suggestions, we didn’t dare hover. At the airport, when Kirk’s large tote thudded onto the scale, we learned it was overweight and would incur an extra charge. Only later, after he landed safely in St. Louis, did we discover the reason: the tote was filled with all of his sneakers. Not some. Not favorites. All of them — apparently one pair for every possible outfit combination a teenage boy might encounter in Missouri. 

While humorous, we can all appreciate how easy it is to take on extra baggage. We’re a bit like Steve Martin in The Jerk — insisting, “All I need is this…” and then grabbing one more thing, and then another, until we’re weighed down without even realizing it. 

The author of Hebrews tells us that if you’re running a race, you need to throw off anything that isn’t essential, ridding yourself of unnecessary baggage. 

The truth is, most of our baggage isn’t physical at all but nonetheless weighty. It’s the regret we keep replaying, the worry we can’t put down, the resentment we’ve nursed for years, the expectations we’re exhausted from trying to meet. 

Sometimes, we don’t pack these things intentionally — they just accumulate, one small thing after another, until our spirits feel overweight. But in all honesty, sometimes we carry them simply because they’re ours — because we’ve grown accustomed to their heft. 

Hebrews doesn’t leave us in despair, but gives us hope, reminding us that we were never meant to run burdened. We can lay down our extra baggage when we fix our eyes on Jesus — the One who runs ahead of us, the One who frees us, the One who carries what we cannot — and we discover that the race becomes lighter, and the path becomes clearer. 

Gracious God, thank You for Jesus, our pioneer and perfecter. When we remember what He endured for us, we see that He has already carried our extra baggage to the cross, so we can know the freedom and joy of lightness. By Your Holy Spirit, help us today to look honestly at the things that weigh us down and to place them in His hands. Amen. 

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Tim