MOVING INTO A NEW YEAR AND LEAVING YOUR BAGGAGE BEHIND
Scripture: "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind." Philippians 3:12-16
We who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior have been assigned a purpose that requires that we are moving forward in progressing toward our spiritual maturity. As we move on from stage to stage, year after year, we find that goal that God has for us is to finish our journey in this life with Him. The challenge for us in moving forward with the Lord is knowing when and what luggage in our lives must be left behind or discarded from us. These things have no positive place in the dominance of our minds or our emotions.
We all have relationships, experiences, and troubles in life that are at times very painful and even damaging to us and we find it difficult move on because of the negative impact that these things have had on us. They pull us down or weigh us down in our pursuit of God’s will for our lives. As a result, we live with certain feelings, patterns of thinking and relational conflicts that should not have continuous holds upon our present lives. They do not relate to the present or the future, but to issues from a previous time in our lives. Because we never properly dealt with these issues, we tend to carry them with us in some way and they get in the way of present relationships, present choices, opportunities, or our ability to set and stick to our present goals. The tragedy for some is that this cycle of bondage (negative baggage) that we continue to carry with us does not go away until we choose to deal with it or be finished with it as a part of our lives.
God’s ways are not our ways, but God’s ways will always deliver us when we walk in accordance to His counsel from the Word:
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I know you have called me to live as a light in this world to reveal You. Please help me to break from the painful bondage of my past issues so that I can live in the full energy and freedom to pursue your goals for my life. I will give You praise and thanks, in Jesus Name, Amen.
By Pastor Cockrell
We all have relationships, experiences, and troubles in life that are at times very painful and even damaging to us and we find it difficult move on because of the negative impact that these things have had on us. They pull us down or weigh us down in our pursuit of God’s will for our lives. As a result, we live with certain feelings, patterns of thinking and relational conflicts that should not have continuous holds upon our present lives. They do not relate to the present or the future, but to issues from a previous time in our lives. Because we never properly dealt with these issues, we tend to carry them with us in some way and they get in the way of present relationships, present choices, opportunities, or our ability to set and stick to our present goals. The tragedy for some is that this cycle of bondage (negative baggage) that we continue to carry with us does not go away until we choose to deal with it or be finished with it as a part of our lives.
God’s ways are not our ways, but God’s ways will always deliver us when we walk in accordance to His counsel from the Word:
- Admit that there is luggage from the past and be willing to confess it to be what it is. If there is past luggage that affects your present, denying it is really a form of lying to yourself and God. Truthfulness about it breaks any justification as to why we should continue to carry them any further in our lives.
- Confidently receive God’s forgiveness if this luggage is a matter of the pain from our personal failure. Leaving this kind of baggage behind means we are fully convinced by God’s authority that we are totally accepted, forgiven and loved.
- Be willing to forgive others with a surrendered heart that is open to God’s help.
- Unforgiveness of the past blocks our experience of His will in the present. Release the past offender and yield your pain to God for His healing and freedom to move on to lay hold to the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
- Get spiritually mature, godly, and even professional help to heal if you are stuck in deep heart turmoil. Keeping pain from the past active can be self-destructive to our physical and spiritual health and well- being.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I know you have called me to live as a light in this world to reveal You. Please help me to break from the painful bondage of my past issues so that I can live in the full energy and freedom to pursue your goals for my life. I will give You praise and thanks, in Jesus Name, Amen.
By Pastor Cockrell
Archive
2023
January
MOVING INTO A NEW YEAR AND LEAVING YOUR BAGGAGE BEHINDEncouraging You in the New YearA Veteran StudentAll of God’s Gifts Are Wrapped in JesusThe Gift that Keeps on GivingA Faith That’s Signed and SealedI Remember Grandma (Part I)I Remember Grandma (Part II)Roots Growing DeeperSTANDING IN HIS PEACEBE WARY OF COMPARING! (Part I)BE WARY OF COMPARING! (Part II)TIE A YELLOW RIBBON...[Part I]TIE A YELLOW RIBBON... [Part II]The One That Got Away [Until Now] Part IThe One That Got Away [Until Now] Part IIThe One That Got Away [Until Now] PartWINTER, ALREADY ?! [Part I]WINTER, ALREADY ?! [Part II]HE KNOWS!Godly Hope vs. Positive ThinkingHope DeferredCalled To Endure!The Greatest Expectation!The Ear and Eye GateCourage, Saints!!Getting to Know Him- Little By LittleSame Storm Different Boat pt2The Apron of ServanthoodGetting to Know Him- Little By LittleConfess It as Sin!
2022
January
Dissing Double MindednessCome-to-Jesus MomentNew Year, Same God!Is God Real?O Me of Little FaithNot Another Password!Lamb of GodA Tale of Two SongsGod WinksJesus Working Through MeA Real Friend with BenefitsGod is Trying to Tell Us SomethingEven the Lord, RestedGod’s Word to the RescueLiberty and ConscienceHaving a Made-Up MindMarch Like a SoldierThe Reality of UnityLostMiracle on the Roman RoadA Reference Point, Not a ResidencePromised TranquilityListening/Obeying ChristOf ValueHeart FlowThe Implications of “Won’t He Do It”
February
March
STANDING IN VICTORYSelf WillWho are you?Wait a MinuteNOT IF, BUT WHEN (Part 1)NOT IF, BUT WHEN (Part 2)NOT IF, BUT WHEN (Part 3)God Given IdentityHe Knows Our Heart!Witnessing FalselyBut God; the Believer’s SemicolonGod’s Fingerprint – The Living WordHeart OwnershipDeception Among BelieversAn Extraordinary ManEven IfHe Saw the Best in MeNot Quite, Almost, Nearly \"NOPE!\"Jesus’ Teaching About WorshipTHE RIGHT ATTITUDE FOR PRAYER (Part I)THE RIGHT ATTITUDE FOR PRAYER (Part II)Fruits of the SpiritDifferent Time but Same AgendaI Am the GreatestTrusting the FatherListen, God is Speaking to You
April
What’s in A Name?I’m DelightedWhat a Friend We Have in JesusGod Promises a Life of New BeginningsChrist Formed in YouSlow to SpeakThe Eternal God is Our RefugeHis Marvelous Grace and Omniscience!Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!WHEN FAITHFULNESS BARES IT\'S THROAT!Things Change in His PresenceESCAPE THE WOE!Declare the Lord’s Immutability!WAS THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS, A DONE DEAL?Jesus Needing a Drink
4 Comments
Praise the Lord for the authority and power of His Word for the past, present and future. Hallelujah 🙌🏾🙏
My goodness, Lord, felt like I just sat down in the counselor’s chair. Thanks be to God for that wisdom that comes from above and for the redirecting of negative cyclical thinking. Woo and amen.
Amen, thank you Pastor Cockrell.
Thank you Father for loving us, and sending Your Son Jesus to show us how to love; for forgiving me, and helping me to forgive, to leave baggage behind, and strive to walk closer to You.
Amen!!!