Marriage from A to Z

What Baggage Do You Bring?

You have baggage, I have baggage, all of God’s children have baggage.  We all bring some type of baggage into a relationship/marriage based on the way were raised, practices, patterns, behaviors and things that we observed as a child.  As the saying goes, much of what we learned as a child was caught instead of taught.

I believe that there are two types of baggage good and bad.  The good baggage represents practices, patterns, habits and good behaviors that we learned or caught as a kid, these are things that line up with the Word of God.  The opposite is bad baggage which are practices, patterns, habits and behaviors that are contrary to the Word of God.  These are bags that we have to stop carrying.  They are too heavy, they damage our relationships and God wants to replace them.

Here are some examples of each:

Good Baggage and Bad Baggage

1. Good Communication vs Bad Communication
2. Shows Affection vs No Affection or Very Little
3. Lasting Relationships vs Broken Relationships (No Long term Commitments)
4. Deals with Conflict vs Avoids Conflicts
5. Good Financial habits vs Poor Financial Habits
6. Speaking the truth vs Constantly telling Lies
7. Faithful vs Patterns of Unfaithfulness
8. See Children as Gifts vs Seeing Children as Burdens
9. Very Loving vs Very Abusive
10. Godly behaviors vs Ungodly behaviors

Evaluate and identify your baggage.  Do you have more good or bad?  The goal is to be intentional about carrying the good baggage and to give the bad baggage to God.  Being a follower of Christ is all about getting rid of your sinful patterns, practices, habits and behaviors of our family background and re-learning how to do life, relationships/marriage and family God’s way (ref. II Corin. 5:17).  In other words, keep the good baggage and drop the bad baggage!

Until next week,

Carolyn