I had an interesting dream that began with a suitcase. I was standing alone, roadside, with a suitcase in hand. My bag was well-worn and battered without stickers of exotic trips or barcoded airline tags indicating a great vacation. It was a beat-up, heavy, bulging suitcase. Yet when I tried to set it down, I couldn’t. The ugly suitcase was fused to my hand! Without realizing it, I carried that piece of luggage around for so long that it became part of me!
FREEDOM FROM DEADWEIGHT
I poked, pried, and even banged the bag against the ground, desperately trying to free my hand. It would not budge. Finally, I cried out in desperation for help. Suddenly, Jesus appeared. He touched my hand. The old suitcase suddenly dropped to the ground. Then, He took my hand and began to massage it, gently and lovingly rubbing out the soreness and stiffness from carrying the case around for so many years. His compassion overwhelmed me. I realized that deadweight was to be left at the foot of the cross on the day of my salvation. But for some reason, I kept picking it up and lugging it around.
NEVER NEEDING TO PICK UP THE WEIGHT AGAIN
As Jesus massaged my hand, two angels appeared. They picked up the suitcase and carried it away. As they flew over the ocean, the suitcase popped open, and all my filthy laundry tumbled into the deepest part of the sea. Then, they flung the empty suitcase into the depths as well. And that’s when I realized I was truly free. My burdens, my sins, the messes I’ve created over the years were all gone. I never need to pick them up again. Hallelujah!
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2).
A TRANSFORMED LIFE
Romans 12:2 charges us to live a transformed life. I realized that to live my best, transformed life, I cannot carry around the burdens of my past and expect to live freely. What about you? Are you unnecessarily carrying around burdens that have long been forgiven? A life focusing on Jesus, unhindered by former sins and sorrows, awaits all of us once we are willing to live truly free.
Daily, choose to focus on these verses: “But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12)
Don’t continue to carry around that deadweight of a suitcase. Live forgiven and transformed by Christ!