Heavy Baggage
28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28–30
An invention during my lifetime that has revolutionized travel is … are you ready for this … the wheeled suitcase!! I still remember the days when luggage didn’t come with wheels and we actually had to carry it. The wheeled suitcase made travel significantly easier by eliminating the need to carry heavy bags, improving mobility, and saving travelers time and energy. While the rolling suitcase was invented over 50 years ago in 1972, it gained popularity in 1987 when a pilot named Robert Plath invented a roller suitcase with the bag on its side, in a vertical position.* Years later, along came the spinner wheel! Once again, game changer! These wheels make pulling a suitcase even easier and faster. If you have not converted to spinner wheel luggage, do so today! That might be a good Christmas gift idea.
When traveling, most of us require lots of items, and we have to find a way to take them with us. Even with the invention of roller suitcases, managing bags on a trip can be a challenge (especially if you have back and hip pain issues like I do): a backpack, a carry-on, a larger suitcase. These items can be cumbersome and burdensome. Usually, for me, checking a bag is a relief because I no longer have to worry with it or manage handling it through the airport and getting it into an overhead bin.
Life is full of situations that can weigh us down and become cumbersome and overwhelming, much like taking lots of baggage on a long trip. When I was growing up, my mother had a saying that she used often, “Life sure gets ‘teejus’ at times!” The word ‘teejus’ here means tedious or wearisome. Weariness comes in many forms - physical exhaustion, emotional burnout, spiritual dryness. It’s often the result of carrying too much, for too long, without relief. Life's burdens can feel relentless, especially when we attempt to carry them alone or try to endure them in our own strength.
Today’s key verse refers to a yoke, which is a wooden harness used to link two oxen together so they can pull a plow or cart side by side. This device keeps them connected and ensures they walk and work in unison. They were usually big and heavy. But God invites us to take His yoke, a symbol of partnership, one that is light and easy because He shares the load. Jesus doesn’t offer to remove every hardship, but rather, He offers Himself, and the promise that walking with Him is the path to rest for our souls. The cure for weariness isn’t found in escape, distraction, or self-reliance. It’s found in surrender, learning to walk with Jesus, not ahead of Him or apart from Him.
Read Isaiah 40:27-31. Verse 31 says, “but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.
We too often trust in our own sufficiency, which causes us to grow weary. The verse above tells us that God will bring strength if we trust Him. This requires us to seek Him and then rely entirely on Him. His strength will allow us to see our situation from His perspective and to overcome our obstacles and move us forward in faith with Him. Whatever stands in your path today, God can give you the strength to face it and rise above it.
Maybe you’re too busy and need to learn to say ‘no’ and not overcommit. Perhaps you are lonely and need to seek biblical community. Maybe you are dealing with past regrets or shame and simply need to turn it over to the Lord and trust His forgiveness. Perhaps you are feeling distant from God or stuck in your faith and need to make time for Him. Maybe worry is consuming you, and you need to release that situation to God. Maybe you need physical rest and to focus on your own self-care (see below for a plan).
Baggage when traveling is a necessity. Sometimes it is burdensome. Other times, it is light and easy. Such is life. We are not promised an easy life. We live in a broken world, and with that come challenges. The bottom line is how we handle and deal with those situations. If we turn those over to God and trust Him with them, He will lighten our loads. Some things we need to lay down and not pick back up. Others, we must continue to carry, but with Him, it can be lighter.
Call for Action
Grab a small piece of paper or notecard and identify a situation that is causing you to feel weary right now - in body, mind, or spirit.
If you have been trying to power through in your own strength, challenge yourself to turn this situation over to God today and vow not to pick it up again. Trust and rely on God, that He is faithful and has your best interests in mind.
On the back side of your notecard, create a self-care plan for yourself and then implement it. Think in terms of the following four areas of life:
Spiritual: What can you do to connect with and feel close to God? (spend time in Scripture and prayer, personal worship, participate in biblical community)
Physical: What is an activity that you can do that is healthy, fulfilling, and rejuvenating for your body? (8 hours of sleep, eating healthy, walking, going to the gym)
Emotional: How can you get in touch with your feelings? (identify how you feel in certain situations, take time to cry or laugh, talk to safe people, practice joy)
Mental: What can you do to better control your thought life? (journaling, counseling, practice gratitude)
Dig Deeper
Read these additional verses: Jeremiah 31:25, Psalm 46:1 and 10, Psalm 55:22, Psalm 73:26, Galatians 6:9, 1 Peter 5:7. Write the words of Matthew 11:28 on a notecard and keep it in a place where you can see it and meditate on it.
Prayer
God, life is hard and wearisome. Help us to surrender to You, to lay our burdens at Your feet. Teach us to trust You and that Your yoke is truly easy, and Your burden is light. Renew our strength and push us to soar to new heights as believers. Amen.
*Source: https://travelpro.com/blogs/the-travelpro-blog/the-history-of-rolling-luggage
Copyright © 2025 Kyle Cravens
