The Weight of Emotional Baggage
I know a divorced woman who met a very nice man, and for the first time in years she was excited about the possibilities. But when she went into the relationship, all she talked about was her past hurts and pains. She was so stuck in her past that she couldn’t move forward.
The Consequences of Carrying Emotional Baggage
Unfair things happen. People hurt us. We experience loss. We make mistakes. We have a season of disappointment. We weren’t designed to carry around the offenses, bitterness, resentment, and agony, but too often we let those negatives define our lives.
The Importance of Letting Go
That’s why the Scripture tells us to “lay aside the weights that can easily entangle us” (Hebrews 12:1). Can I tell you that you need to refresh your emotional baggage every morning? You need to learn to travel light, because where you’re going is far more important than where you’ve been.
Investing in Your Future
I want to remind you today to spend your time investing in your future, not in the past. Investing in the past is when you relive your pains and disappointments, focusing on who hurt you, what didn’t work out, and the mistakes you’ve made. That’s a waste of time and energy.
Receiving Beauty for Ashes
The Scripture says God wants to give you beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61:3), but you can’t receive the beauty if you don’t give God your ashes. Give God your hurts and pains, and then open up wide so that you can receive the beauty He has in store for you.
Declaration
"I declare that I am free from the burdens of my past. I release all emotional baggage and let go of every hurt, pain, and disappointment. I choose to focus on the present and invest in my future, knowing that God has given me beauty for ashes."
Pray with me
"Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You today, asking for Your help in releasing my emotional baggage. I lay aside the weights that have entangled me and held me back. I give You all my hurts, pains, and disappointments. Please heal my emotional wounds and set me free in Jesus Name, amen."
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