Traveling Light in an Overstuffed World

As I stared down at my suitcase, my mind was a whirl of thoughts on how to arrange all my belongings so it would close. I had carefully planned for every situation that might occur on my trip and felt every piece of clothing would be needed. I couldn’t possibly eliminate even one thing, so I would have to force them all to fit.

Honestly, my natural suitcase isn’t the only thing I tend to overstuff. I do the same thing with my spiritual one. God instructs me to travel light, but I am still prone to carry around tons of extra stuff I don’t need.

God has given me instructions on my purpose and what is most important in my spiritual journey. I have been called to a great purpose of spreading the good news of Jesus and to thrive in a relationship with Him. I start well by making space for all the essentials, such as joy, peace, temperance, and patience.

Unfortunately, I start overthinking all the things that could happen along life’s journey. All my thoughts of worst-case scenarios and unknowns give way to stuffing in things like worry, doubt, and fear.  Then things I need to thrive and travel well get pushed out. I end up feeling overstuffed, weighted down, and struggling to go anywhere the Lord has planned for me to go.

I tend to think that the disciples were prone to be overstuffers, too, for Jesus taught them a lesson in packing light.  In Luke 9:3-5, He instructs them on what to take with them as they went out to spread the good news of the gospel. His instructions on how to travel well read, “And he said to them, ‘Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” The instructions Jesus gave the disciples contain much wisdom and provide a much-needed lesson in packing for a successful life journey for us as well.

Let’s unpack the essentials for a successful journey that Jesus highlighted in this passage:

1.) Pack the security found in Jesus. Jesus first told them not to pack a walking stick, which meant relying solely on God for support and protection. We will never find true security in anything other than God. We must learn to lean on His word for comfort and protection. We can’t plan for every circumstance, but we serve the One we can trust to prepare the way before us. We must also learn not to lean on our understanding, but trust in God’s plan for our lives. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

2. Leave room for God to supply your essentials. Jesus told them not to take a traveling bag, pack food, or carry money for their trip.  They were to rely on their Great Provider and the hospitality of others, trusting God to lead them to the people who would give them what they needed.  Instead of relying on themselves, God taught them to depend on Him as their provider, teaching them that if they have God, they have everything they need.

3. Make room for conversation and connection. They were not only to travel light but also to travel slowly enough to make connections. We can become so busy in life that we make room for everything, rather than the most important things. It is so easy to rush past the parts of our journey where all God wants us to do is sit down and enjoy each other’s company, lean into essential conversations, create lasting friendships, and most importantly, share Jesus and what He is doing in our lives with a lost and dying world. In a culture that runs full speed ahead, there is much to be learned from pausing long enough along the way to enjoy the company of other believers and share the gospel.

4.) Toss out negative experiences. We can all face negative experiences, for not all people are receptive to our message and do not share our beliefs, as outlined in the gospel. We also encounter hurtful comments and are often the target of heartbreaking gossip.  We must not allow these negative experiences or words to cleave to us and make us weary and downcast. Instead, we are to shake them off at Jesus’ feet. These negative experiences tend to cling to us and weigh us down, hindering us from traveling light and thriving in God’s best-laid plans for our lives.

I looked at my suitcase again and realized I had been a little hasty in packing. I could eliminate a few items, making my suitcase much lighter. I decided to make it a point to travel light on my trip and work to travel much lighter in my spiritual journey as well. I would take a second look and seek God to find out how best to pack for my spiritual journey.  I would be organizing my suitcase to make plenty of room for more of God and less for the unnecessary stuff that weighs me down.