Excess Baggage~Cleaning Out the Closet

We all have it. That extra 'stuff' we carry around from childhood, past relationships and other painful experiences. It functions as reminders of the places it came from when something similar comes along and 'triggers' it. But, do we really need it? As a follower of Jesus, do we trust Him enough to let it go?

Just a few days ago, some of my own personal baggage surfaced~ 'stuff' that went all the way back to my childhood. 'Stuff' I didn't realize I had. The subtle, built-in protective barrier I had erected years ago was hindering a particular aspect of my Christian growth, and I could not move forward until I dealt with it. I am so much freer now!

Some baggage is big and cumbersome, and easy to spot. Others are so small that they can become lost~so lost that a person is unaware they have it until someone stumbles upon it. If we are to be true to Christ, true to ourselves, and true to our Christian walk, then the baggage has to go so that we have room for the better gift He has to offer.

For that, we might need to look into our closet~not the closet that holds our clothing, but the closet of our hearts. All of us has a dark, dusty, cobweb-filled corner that we dare not touch because of the painful memories or unforgiveness  that will be there. What do we do about that? Do we just ignore that part of our lives, or put something in front of it to hide the dirt? How can we truly have a clean closet to store our wardrobe (the part of ourselves that we show to the world) if we fail to clean out the dark corners? Only through Christ can we truly shine the light on, and clean out, the dark places in the closet of our hearts.

Jesus~He offers the best house-cleaning service with which no other can compare.