🌿Breathe Truth🌿
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” —Matthew 7:13
🌿Believe Truth🌿
Over the years, we haven’t encountered many travel places that use stairs exclusively in the US. This resort is one of the few locations we have visited where some of its buildings don’t utilize an elevator. On this trip, our family moved rooms during the second half of our trip because of limited availability at the time of booking. Hence, we went from a condo with elevator access to a condo with stair access only.
Our stair access condo was located on the third floor. With three 29” suitcases, two 20” carry-ons, one 19” carry-on, one car seat, and a mini-cooler for milk, carrying luggage through three flights of stairs proved to be an interesting challenge.
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Imagine carrying that kind of luggage. Every day. Up the stairs for check-in. Down the stairs for check-out.
Some of us carry this baggage every day of our lives.
What do we pack in these luggages?
Our past. Decisions we regretted. Relationships we stumbled. Battles we couldn’t win. Things we could have done differently.
Our present. Decisions we’re trying to avoid. Relationships we can’t fix. Battles we are experiencing. Things that are out of our control right now.
Our future. Decisions we worry over. Relationships that have no future. Battles we will face. Things we are in denial.
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Then He (Jesus) said go the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up the cross daily, and follow me.” —Luke 9:23
The narrow gate is narrow for a reason. God doesn’t want you to carry your baggage with you every single day of your life. You cannot carry baggage and the cross at the same time. You have to drop one of these two. Let go of your luggage, take your cross, and follow Jesus.
But the cross here isn’t a literal man-made one. It’s a symbol of something greater. The cross represented death during Jesus’ time period. So when you take up your cross, what you are really doing is dying to yourself and the desires and choices you want to make in the flesh, and laying it down and giving it up to Jesus.
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Not a natural reaction, but a necessary one.
Release your hold on your baggage, regarding the past, present, and future. Put it down and hand it over to Jesus. Then make your way through the narrow gate that leads to redemption and life. Jesus redeemed you so you don’t have to be weighed down anymore. Lower that burden where it should be, down. Rise up and proceed through the narrow gate.
Choose the narrow gate, not the wide one that leads to destruction, dead ends, and devastating deviations. Your luggage won’t fit through the narrow gate. Leave it behind. There’s better ahead.
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If God wanted your baggage, He would have made the gates wider. You won’t need your baggage where you are going. You won’t need them when you have a future with Jesus.
Walk in the Real Truth as you travel through the narrow gate. And live luggage free.
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