What holds most people back? I watch so many people quit things—from marriages to passions, and sometimes even their purpose—all because of the baggage they carry.
Every time something happens to us in life, it adds to our baggage. It doesn’t matter which area of life it’s from—relationships, family, career—we all have it. But the issue lies in how we handle it. Often, we cling to that baggage until it controls our lives. Let’s look at a few types of baggage and how they impact us:
1) Relational Baggage
This can be one of the hardest to carry. You give your all in a relationship, with high hopes and expectations, but what happens? For many, they’re left hurt or betrayed. Maybe the person cheated, or they walked away unexpectedly. You carry that pain and mistrust into the next relationship, guarded and jaded, determined not to be hurt again. But as time goes on, you may be blindsided again, leaving you questioning yourself.
Maybe later on, you feel ready to try love again. You connect with someone new, but now you’re even more guarded. They want to break through, but you won’t let them in because of the wounds from the past. When they eventually walk away, feeling like they can’t reach you, it only reinforces your belief that love isn’t meant for you. Slowly, you become hardened, using every hurt as a reason to put up bigger walls around your heart.
2) Parental Baggage
Parenting isn’t perfect, and no one is raised without their share of mistakes and wounds. Maybe you grew up in a home where you felt unloved or unsupported, or your parents were too harsh, expecting perfection. You learned to cope, but you bring those patterns into adulthood. Some people respond by overachieving, pushing themselves constantly, thinking that if they work hard enough, they’ll finally be “enough.”
Others respond by holding back, never believing they can succeed, so they don’t even try. They might party and avoid responsibility, using temporary escapes to mask a deep-seated belief that they aren’t worth anything more.
3) Life Baggage
This is the baggage everyone encounters. Life is full of ups and downs—losses, illnesses, disappointments. These things can pile up over the years and start to weigh you down. God never promised a life without challenges, but He did promise to be with us through them. Yet sometimes, life’s challenges can be so overwhelming that they lead us to give up on our dreams, hopes, and passions altogether.
Why Letting Go Matters
The things we go through affect how we respond to life overall. If we don’t deal with our baggage, it builds walls around us, hardening our hearts and keeping us from the life God wants for us. But there’s a way out. I believe that you can give this weight over to God. He can handle it, and He wants to.
The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:6-7:
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
What Happens When We Let Go?
When you release your baggage to God, you create room in your heart for healing, love, and new experiences. Those walls that used to protect you now hold you back, keeping you from meaningful relationships, career opportunities, and dreams. Letting go isn’t about forgetting what happened to you; it’s about being free from its control over you. God can take what you’ve been carrying and turn it into a source of strength, resilience, and compassion for others.
The journey may not be instant or easy, but God will guide you through every step as you learn to walk lighter, with fewer burdens and more of His peace.
If you’re ready to take that step, pray:
“God, I need Your help with my baggage. I know You’re the light and that You have the power to help me live a better future. I’m ready to stop carrying my past from one place to another and to fully surrender it all to You. I recommit my life to You and ask for Your help right now. Please take this away and help me see life through Your eyes. Amen.”
Let’s live a God-inspired life—one free from the weight of past baggage.
Chris