No more rucksacks.

I love this time of year. There is a feeling of anticipation in the air … some of it lies in gift-giving and celebration, and some in the joyful fulfillment of Christ’s birth. In combining the two expectations, I should like to give Christ a gift this year for Christmas.

I have been thinking about what that would be like--I pictured myself going before Him, He who was ensconced on the throne. But as I kept trying to get closer, my way grew more difficult; as I stepped closer, I felt weights holding me back from behind. The more I strained, the harder my way grew. (Can you picture that in your mind?) As I sat and pondered the meaning of that scene, I realized I would indeed have a hard time approaching the Lord with a gift until I had gotten rid of whatever held me back, and weighed me down.

Segue . . . about 25 years ago, in another galaxy far away, I used to teach these grueling ‘abs’ classes—you know, where we did nothing but sit-ups and every conceivable derivation thereof for thirty minutes. One of my ‘faithful’ was a professional workout dude--an army vet who lived off his pension, and just worked out all day long. At 39 years of age, 6 ft., 6 in. tall, Tom was quite a physical specimen--202 pounds, and just two percent body fat. ‘You get the idea? He would run along the beach, dragging a 75-pound rucksack behind him to challenge himself. What an image! It was hard work and a lot of strain on Tom to run fast with that dragging through the sand behind him.

But here’s the thing--unless you are a workout junkie, you are not meant to go through life dragging a heavy rucksack behind you. Now I realize the contents of your rucksack varies—might contain worry, or guilt, or unconfessed sin … Unrealized dreams? A broken heart, or what? Friend, what would your life be like if you weren’t dragging that rucksack around?

Hey, I’ve got an idea--let’s pull the crud out of our rucksacks, and expose it to the light . . . let’s name it. Then, let’s give it to God to sort out for us … invite Him to come and ‘make new’, and to heal us. Let God be who he wants to be. A part of us clings to our aloneness and does not allow God to touch us where we are most in pain. Often we hide from him precisely those places in ourselves where we feel guilt, ashamed, confused, and lost. Thus we do not give him a chance to be with us where we feel most alone,1 or a chance to restore us.¨

You might consider searching the Scriptures to get God’s mind on what is dragging you down; after all, God’s Word speaks to everything that concerns his children.

Worry? “Do not worry about anything. Instead, pray about everything, and the God of peace will guard your hearts and mind, and keep them quiet and at rest in Christ Jesus.”1

Weighed down by guilt? “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”2

Unrealized dreams? “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”3

Feeling far from God? “Then you will call upon me, and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.4 Broken hearted? “The Lord is near the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 37.18

Crippled by pain from your past/childhood? Jesus came to bring freedom to the captives.

Let's unpack our rucksacks. . . give our burdens to Him. Then, we can truly give our best to God this Christmas.

Christine

1 Henri Nouwen, “Gracias”, 1983

2 Philippians 4.6-7, New Living Translation

3 1 John 1.9

4 Psalm 37.4

5 Jeremiah 29.12-13

6 Psalm 34.1