Traveling Heavy

I'm preparing for my second beach trip in less than a month, hooray! It took many years of denial, but I've finally come to the point where I accept the fact that I am not a light packer. I know some people can throw a week's worth of necessities in a tiny duffel bag and be set, but I'm not one of those people.

I not only pack all the necessities, but also everything I might possibly need for any weather situation. Shorts and flipflops for hot afternoons. Long sleeves and cardigans for cool nights. And shoes? I usually take 4-5 pairs of shoes for one weekend. It's a sickness, I know.

So, what's your travel style, heavy or light? I've heard lessons before on the need to travel light in a spiritual sense, i.e., laying our burdens down and letting Jesus carry them for us. But today I want to talk about the need to travel heavy, by taking up not only what we need in the moment, but also preparing for potential situations.

In Ephesians 6, the apostle Paul discusses the need to arm ourselves each day:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:10-18)

I usually pray in my car on my way to work in the morning, and I lift up various challenges or situations that I know that I'll face that day--meetings, projects, current stresses. However, I don't always remember to prepare for the unknown temptations or challenges--the cranky co-worker, the driver who cuts me off in traffic, the emergency phone call. I focus on the immediate but not always think about what is beyond that.

Notice that Paul does not say that we'll be able to stand IF the day of evil comes, but rather WHEN it comes. It may not be today, but eventually I'll run up against evil forces at work against me. If I start every day by putting on God's armor--His truth, His faith, His righteousness--then I can be better prepared to face the encmy of my soul.

That is the kind of "baggage" that we need to take up, every day.