Hiding Among The Baggage

When Samuel became too old to be an effective judge, the leaders of Israel asked for a new kind of ruler; "Appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have" (1 Samuel 8:5). This request was actually an indication of the sad decline of God's people. By requesting a king, "as all the other nations," they were rejecting God's plan and choosing to follow the ways of the world.

God was disappointed with the heart of His children; but He granted their request and told Samuel to anoint Saul as Israel's first king. Saul was "an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites - a head taller than any of the others" (1 Samuel 9:2). Saul's external appearance was a perfect match for the superficial values of the nation.

When Samuel spoke with Saul, he was quite surprised to hear he had been chosen by God: "But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?" (1 Samuel 9:21). Saul's insecurities were so great that when it came time to officially anoint him as king, he was nowhere to be found.

1 Samuel 10:22
"So they inquired further of the Lord, 'Has the man come here yet?' And the Lord said, 'Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage.'"

Although Saul made many mistakes as king, we must not forget he was specifically chosen by God and empowered to do His will. But Saul lived with a great sense of inadequacy and was never able to effectively lead. He continually stepped out of God's will because his focus remained on his own limitations rather than on the limitless ability of the One who called him to serve.

Each of us who enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are also chosen to do His will - empowered by His Spirit to accomplish everything He desires for our life; "His divine power has given us everything we need" (2 Peter 1:3). Unfortunately, most of us enter this relationship carrying bags from our past which weigh us down and hinder our ability to serve.

What baggage are we still carrying or using to hide from God's call? There may be sins and failures in our distant (or even very recent) past which make us feel unworthy to serve. We may still carry the pain and mistrust of a broken relationship. We may have even made a sincere attempt to serve but taken a few wrong steps and fallen flat. But NOTHING must keep us from doing His will. Nothing must keep us from following where we know He is leading. Let's trust Him with all our heart and answer the call today. Let's keep our eyes on Christ and stop hiding among the baggage.

Steve -

Wow! What a powerful message. It truly spoke to my heart. I came to know this board as a result of my 25 year marriage being destroyed by the power of sin. Three years later, even after counseling and tremendous loving support from my friends and family, I still carry the burden of the pain and especially the mistrust associated with it. It is my baggage and although there are times that I believe that God has given me the grace to set it all aside it seems to rear its ugly head more often than not.

I can tell you that it truly does impact your ministry in an adverse way. I do not look at people the same way as I did before. Before, it seemed like I almost had a true innocense about always believing and seeing the best in people. Now I stay in the background and watch, waiting for the other shoe to drop and "...hiding in the baggage of a past life".

Thank you for reminding me again that it is in God and only God whom I should place my trust. Through the deepening of that loving relationship, He will guide me so I can reach out to and love others regardless.

Please continue to pray for me that this stronghold is broken from my life and that I can open myself up again to people and perhaps potentially having another special person in my life to share it with.

As I prepare to finish my degree at Ohio Christian University and now serve in the role of Associate Pastor of a new church plant, agree that God will truly soften my heart and increase my love for people. Without His love in me, my ministry will fall flat.

I appreciate you and all of the ministry that takes place here at GDW!!!

Blessings!
Howie

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Howie,

Hi Howie! Thanks for the encouragement!! You have been a real blessing to this ministry. As you know, one of my passions is to see people go beyond a surface level relationship with Jesus. I KNOW this is God's desire - but I also know it is often a painful process.

We all have baggage of one type or another. The fact that you even recognize the problem makes me believe you will be extra sensitive to the struggles others will surely face. I will be praying for you and your ministry.

Remember, our journey lasts a lifetime.