Travelling Light

“Take nothing for the journey,” He told them, “no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no second tunic.

Luke 9:3 (Berean Study Bible)

2018. The year I took a decision to walk closely with God.

I can only say, ‘I want MORE!!’. This is not to say it’s all been fun and rosy, not in the least. Like many, I have had highs and lows. What was different however was my awareness that God is with me no matter which level, high or low, I’m on and that the situation is never bigger than God is. This knowledge and conviction has kept me through so many interesting times in the past year, reminding me that God was, and is always doing more than my physical eyes could see.

How has being intentional about a relationship with God looked for me and what does it look like going forward?

Step out:

In 2017, my entire life literally changed after I lost my mummy. I started to see life from a completely different perspective. I couldn’t completely understand it all but I came to the realization that some things in life, like salvation, were a life-or-death matter and an absolute necessity while some other things, like gossip and unnecessary arguments, just didn’t deserve a second of my time. I also developed an intense hunger for God and the things of God. I just wanted to know Him more and more and to truly understand what it meant for a person to walk with Him. This was my one desire going into 2018 and still is as I start 2019. There is nothing I want more. I have learned that a life lived outside of God is only really partially lived, if at all. Life is so much fuller and better when He is in it.

Jesus calling:

Reading the Bible is definitely one way to stay in communion and one of the guides that helped with staying daily in the word was Sarah Young’s devotional Jesus Calling, https://amzn.to/2Sxbo6A. The daily readings are structured as if Jesus were speaking to you Himself, as He actually is through the Bible. There are other ways and it is always good to find what works for you. It has been wonderful developing a daily time alone in the word no matter how short or long and seeing the effect it has on my entire day. I definitely look forward to what’s next this coming year. I will share my next devotional in a later post.

I am definitely excited for the journey through this new year. I am reminded of one truth, that I may not know what the year has in store (I believe it is an outpour of blessings), but I definitely know who is walking through the year with me. This keeps my heart and mind at peace and places a new determination in each step I take.

His yoke is easy:

Walking into the year with Jesus is easier because of hindsight. It is also easy because He promises to never leave me. Also, he says that He doesn’t give a heavy burden to bear. That walking with Him is actually easy and His yoke isn’t heavy at all. This is particularly encouraging seeing as so much of what the world offers lays so much weight n a person; to look a certain way, to do the next trick for a ‘like’, to be at a certain level by a certain time, etc. etc., sometimes unimaginably difficult to keep up with. Jesus says His yoke is not at all like this and sometimes I think it is so because, if you’ve seen cattle yoked, you’ll realize that at the same level, the weight of the yoke is pretty well distributed and not burdensome (Jesus comes to our level, gosh I love Him), but with unmatched bulls, one is either dragging the other along or carrying more of the weight than the other. An almost impossible feat to say the least, much like the world’s impossible standards.

29Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 10:29-30 (Berean Study Bible)

Drop the baggage:

As I mentioned earlier, while somethings are necessary, others you can absolutely do without and you get to decide whether to carry it all (necessary and unnecessary) or to be very picky as to what you carry with you. Imagine going on a trip and carrying bags upon bags with you just because you have unlimited baggage allowance. The stress!! It is so much easier going with the absolutely necessary, travelling light and having to worry less about how to navigate airports and vehicles with all the load. I guess it’s pretty much the same with life as well. So much hurt, anger at an injustice, unforgiveness, worry, fear, feelings of insufficiency and more are bags we tend to carry just because there is luggage allowance. But they weigh a person down and steal so much from the enjoying the trip. Choosing carefully what is needed and opting for joy, peace, love, kindness, etc. even when unreciprocated will make the travel time so much less stressed and more enjoyable.

How about if we tried a bit more of this this year. Less unnecessary baggage, more of the lighter, good stuff. Let’s head into 2019 not weighed down but happy and living victoriously!

Happy 2019 and may this be your best year yet.

Travel light friends.