No Room in the Bin

I read recently the battle for bin space on airplanes is heating up. When possible, most of us like to carry our belongings onto the plane with us.  Why?

• If we don’t, our luggage might be abused and return to us crushed, torn and tattered.
• In some places, baggage handlers will open our luggage and help themselves to our possessions.
• We would rather skip the baggage claim area altogether and head straight to our destination.

And…

• Who wants to pay $25.00 for a small piece of luggage when it’s going on the same plane and costs the airline nothing more to transport?

Therefore, we do everything possible to secure bin space. We rush to the front of the boarding line, compress our carry-on as much as possible, and keep the ticket agent at the gate busy with conversation while we slip our slightly oversized carry-on by unnoticed (Not that I have tried this last one – but a friend of a friend of a friend told me it works).

While I am all for passenger rights on airlines, I wonder what would happen if Jesus was a ticket agent. What if He was deciding what we could bring on board?

Jesus would definitely stop us from taking our baggage on the plane. But He wouldn’t send it away to be loaded in the cargo bay.  Instead, He would take care of it Himself.

That’s what Jesus does.

He carries our baggage. Our sins.  Our hurts.  Our regrets.  Our guilt.

I’m not sure what He does with these things after He takes possession. Yes, He covers them with grace.  But as to whether He roughs them up a bit, I can’t say.

I only know baggage has no place on our journey with Jesus.

So what do we put in the overhead bins?  Probably stuff like patience, joy, compassion, and love.

Are you feeling nervous? Does it already bother you that Jesus wants to take away your baggage and never give it back?

Don’t bother going to customer service. It isn’t there.  It’s gone.  G-O-N-E, gone.  Do you want to dredge up your past and see how it feels again?  Don’t even try.  Do you resent someone in your past who hurt you?  Leave it alone.  And be careful.  After we put our cares on Jesus, Satan tries to sell us some new stuff…stuff that looks just like the old stuff…stuff that has already been eliminated from our lives.

One thing is for sure. We can’t begin the journey until we encounter Jesus.  But it’s ok.  As Peter once wrote, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

And here’s the best part: Checking your baggage with Jesus is free!

No lame $25.00 charge.

No discussion about whether or not you can take just a little baggage on board.

It’s all covered by grace, and it all stays at the gate.

With Jesus.

There truly is no room in the bin for baggage when Jesus is in charge. But don’t fret.  He will give you plenty of wonderful things to fill up the space.  Are you old enough to remember when flight attendants gave you gifts things like playing cards, pens and other swag to keep you occupied?  You should fly with Jesus!  He supplies you with everything you need!

There is room in the bin. But not for the things you have already given to Jesus.

Don’t resist. You won’t need baggage on the journey.  But you will need an empty bin to hold everything Jesus wants to give you.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for choosing…”

Ooops! Need to shut down my electronic device now.  The captain is giving me some final instructions.

The Captain of my soul, that is.