Stop Carrying Other People's Baggage

Stop Carrying Other People's Baggage Take my yoke upon you and learn from, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:29-30) Have you ever offered to help someone with whatever they were carrying and the weight surprised you; either it was lighter than you thought or much heavier than you thought? It is not easy carrying someone else's baggage. First of all, you didn't pack it. Therefore, you are not aware of the contents. You might have agreed to carry feathers or you might have agreed to carry bricks. When you carry someone else's baggage, you are obligated to carry the full load. If it were your own, you would know what to discard when the baggage becomes too heavy on your shoulders. However, you are not at liberty to discard others' possessions. So, you are stuck with carrying a heavy load belonging to someone else. The Bible is clear about what to do with our own baggage (burdens): "Cast your burdens on the Lord and he will sustain you." (Psalm 55:22) Once we have cast our own burdens on the Lord, it is unwise to pick up baggage belonging to someone else. Jesus advised to take only one thing upon us: His yoke! Why? In contrast to our own burdens and those of others, "His yoke is easy and His burden is light!" \0/ / \