Barbra Gentry-Pugh

Carrying Lessons, Not Baggage, Into The New Year

January 4, 2026

“Forget what happened in the past, and do not dwell on events from long ago. I am going to do something new. It is already happening. Don’t you recognize it? I will clear a way in the desert. I will make rivers on dry land.” Isaiah 43:18-19

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalms 139:23-24

^“So, if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” John 8:36

As a new year begins, many of us reflect on the past year, where we’ve been, what we have experienced, and wonder what lies ahead. We set intentions, make plans, and quietly hope this year will feel lighter than the last.

Over the years, I’ve learned something about “lighter” through travel. When my husband was alive, he loved to travel, and we were blessed to travel extensively. During our travels, he always took care of my luggage, even my carry-on. I never thought much about the weight because I wasn’t the one carrying it.

Now, when I travel alone, I feel it. The luggage feels heavier, not because it weighs more, but because I am not used to carrying it myself. And in those moments, especially on a recent trip to Europe, I’m reminded not only of how much I miss him, but how noticeable the weight becomes when you’ve carried it for too long.

Isn’t that how life can be? Weighted and excess baggage isn’t just carried on a plane; it’s often carried by people. Far too many are walking into a new year still carrying unnecessary baggage: unforgiveness, jealousy, holding grudges, anger, rebellion, bitterness, shame, doubt, regret, blame-shifting, lying, pretending, and others. Weight that may have accumulated over time, slowly, weight that once felt manageable.

Imagine walking into a restaurant and carrying all your trip belongings with you. Imagine sightseeing and having to carry that stuff with you everywhere you go. Up mountains, over bridges. My daughter Portia can relate to this after a hiking trip in the Grand Canyon. Walking down the aisle carrying all your excess troubles, mistakes, misunderstandings, and rejections to the altar. You quickly get the imagery of what happens when the excess baggage isn’t dealt with. It enters into everything you do and everywhere you go. It’s a load no one should carry, and it will cost you more than you want to pay.

Even as Believers in Christ, we have our share of baggage. Some of it is carried over from the days before their commitment to Christ. Some of it is carried due to sins committed in the past. Other weighted down baggage may be marital problems, how a person was raised, or even religious expectations. It’s a heavy load to carry, and it truly costs dearly to carry the weight around. Weight that once felt manageable and weight that now feels exhausting. The cost of carrying the excess baggage comes when you try to carry it all yourself.

Some of what we carry taught us valuable lessons. However, some of what we carry was never meant to go with us into the next season or year of our lives. God, in His grace, invites us to carry lessons, not luggage.

God speaks to the heart! He says, “I have come to the world to lighten the sin load of everyone who comes to Me for relief. At Calvary, I set the precedent for a life that never has to be burdened with the weight of sin. Why are you still carrying that with you? Are you expecting to be able to do something with your past regrets? Christ says hand them to me quickly before you find yourself so weighted down with sin that you cannot enter into My rest. John 10:10-11 reminds us what Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. God has made it so simple that as we begin to unload it all on Him, we find that He just does away with it! It’s gone as far as the east is from the west. It’s in the sea of forgetfulness. He is not like us; He will never bring it up again, and He will never try to weigh us down with it. So, if you feel that you must take it all up and carry it again, you can be sure that it is not the Lord requiring it of you.

God commands us to leave the past behind, not to deny it, but to prevent it from continuing to make us emotionally, spiritually, and physically sick!

So, as we walk into 2026, we would be wise to have our hearts aligned with what God is doing next! When our hearts are weighed down, our steps are slower, our vision is clouded, our freedom is limited. But when we choose to release what no longer serves God’s purpose in our lives, we make room for what He is doing next.“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23.

2026 doesn’t require a perfect plan; however, it requires an aligned heart. The Prophet Isaiah 43:18-19 reminds us, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!”
God is not asking us to forget what shaped us; He is asking us not to live bound by it!

REMEMBER, God loves you! He is for you and with you. That’s why He wants you to quit paying for the excess baggage you were never meant to carry. He needs you to be free to live, love, and share His love, His care, and His truth all the days of your life.

John 8:36 reminds us of what Jesus said, “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” He also reminds us in Matthew 11:28-30: Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” I also love what the Psalmist says in Psalm 34:6: “In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; He saved me from all my troubles.”

Definitions of Emotional and Spiritual Baggage

What Is Emotional Baggage?: Emotional baggage is the unresolved emotional weight we carry from past experiences, hurts, disappointments, losses, betrayals, or unmet expectations that continue to influence how we think, feel, and respond in the present. In direct terms, emotional baggage is yesterday’s pain carried into today, weighing down the heart and limiting freedom.

It shows up when past pain:

shapes current reactions and responses to life situations/conditions
fuels resentment, bitterness, or anger
keeps us guarded, fearful, or defensive
prevents healthy relationships or forward movement

Proverbs 12:25 says, “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.”

What Is Spiritual Baggage? Spiritual baggage is unresolved heart conflict with God, distorted beliefs, unconfessed sin, guilt, shame, unforgiveness, or disappointment with God that interferes with trust, obedience, and intimacy with Him. Simply stated, spiritual baggage is the weight that disrupts our walk with God, leaving us weary, discouraged, or spiritually distant.

It develops when we:

hold onto guilt, God has already forgiven
believe lies about God, ourselves, or our worth
struggle to trust God because of unanswered prayers
remain bound by fear, condemnation, or spiritual confusion
feel justified in holding on to what is perceived or actually what others have done to us

Hebrews 12:1 says, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” Our Help Is In The Name of the Lord!

Release Your Emotional and Spiritual Baggage

God wants to take your emotional and spiritual baggage from you.  He has seen you in the difficult spaces and hard places of life, and He has heard every unkind word spoken to you. 

God is Omniscient, simply meaning He knows everything. He knows your secrets and what you’ve been through.  He knows it all and loves you completely and unconditionally.

God is Omnipotent; He has all power and can do anything. God is the only person who will never leave us or turn His back on us! Hebrews 13:5 “God has said, ‘I will never fail you.  I will never abandon you.”

Bring all your emotions to Him instead of packing them into your emotional and spiritual baggage. He created you and gave you your emotions, and would love to see you correctly use them. He wants to work with you and direct you.  God desires to comfort and reassure you.  He wants you to work through tough emotions, not pack them away for later. Be reminded again, Jesus said, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  Matthew 11:28

Emotional and Spiritual Baggage weighs us down and can be barriers to the life God wants us to live. These issues can be attributed to physical symptoms and problems if left unattended. He wants us to experience joy and hope, not conflict and pain.

Heart Check: Take a moment and ask yourself:

What emotional or spiritual “luggage” have I been carrying this new year?
Is this weight teaching me, or tying me down?
Have I mistaken familiarity for faithfulness?
What would feel lighter if I fully surrendered it to God?

HeartChallenge: As you step into this new year, choose one intentional act of release:

Release that grudge that has overstayed its welcome
Release the shame, God has already forgiven
Release expectations that no longer align with God’s will
Release the need to control what only God can carry

Ask God to help you walk forward lighter, freer, and aligned with His purpose. 1 Peter 5:7 reminds us to “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”

God has provided us with a Treatment Plan with Standing Orders – His Word: Just like in nursing, standing orders provide pre-approved instructions to stabilize and protect a patient ~ God has given His children standing orders for the care of the heart. These are not optional suggestions; they are life-giving directives for emotional, spiritual, and relational health.

As we enter the new year 2026, God invites us to follow His prescription, not by carrying more, but by laying burdens down. A Prescription for Releasing Extra Baggage. As I bring this devotional to an end, I was reminded of the passage in Genesis 19:26, regarding Lot’s wife, which serves as a sobering reminder that looking back is dangerous when the heart longs for what God has already rescued us from. Her backward glance turned her into a pillar of salt, immobilized, unable to move forward. In the same way, when we carry emotional and spiritual baggage from the past, and keep reaching back, rehearsing the old baggage of the past, we risk becoming spiritually stuck, unable to walk freely into what God is doing next.

God calls us to carry lessons, not luggage, so our hearts remain aligned with His forward-moving purpose in our lives!

In a major 2019 study, Barna research found that 25% (1 in 4) of practicing Christians admitted to currently struggling to forgive someone in their life. Holding on to emotional and spiritual baggage is costly! Research indicates that unforgiveness is connected to high blood pressure, increased risk of heart disease, weakened immune systems, reduced sleep, chronic pain, arthritis, and cardiovascular problems, hindering the body’s ability to heal.

Reports by Dr. Don Colbert and Dr. Steven Standiford:

Dr. Don Colbert, M.D., author of “Deadly Emotions,” discusses the powerful connection between destructive emotions (stress, anger, unforgiveness) and physical health, stating they can weaken the immune system and strain the heart. He posits that these emotions can have toxic effects on the body, potentially contributing to various serious illnesses, including some types of cancer.

Dr. Steven Standiford, identified as the chief of surgery at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) in some reports, is cited as saying that refusing to forgive makes people sick and keeps them that way. He notes that addressing emotional wounds/baggage is crucial because they can hinder a patient’s reaction to medical treatments or willingness to pursue them.

God’s Standing Orders for Releasing Extra Baggage and the journey to wholeness!

Patient: Child of God
Diagnosis: Emotional & Spiritual Overload
Treatment Goal: Freedom, Alignment, Heart Health, moving toward Wholeness
Prescribing Physician: The Master Healer

Standing Order #1: Examine the Heart Regularly: Unexamined burdens quietly accumulate.

Lamentations 3:40. “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.”
Schedule regular “heart checks.” Ask God to reveal any weight you’ve been carrying that no longer belongs in this season

Standing Order #2: Release What Is Too Heavy to Carry: God never intended for you to manage emotional and spiritual overload alone.

1 Peter 5:7.“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
Consciously transfer the load. What you release, God receives. Relief comes not from endurance, but from surrender.

Standing Order #3: Retain the Lesson, Not the Luggage. Healing does not erase the past; it redeems it.

Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.” Keep the wisdom God has given you, but discard the emotional residue that weighs your heart down.

Standing Order #4: Guard the Heart Going Forward: An unguarded heart will pick up new baggage quickly.

Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Be intentional about what you allow to occupy your heart this year: thoughts, relationships, expectations, and influences.

Clinical Summary: Failure to follow God’s Treatment Plan and these standing orders may result in spiritual fatigue, physical illness, emotional heaviness, restricted freedom, and delayed healing and wholeness. Faithful adherence produces peace, clarity, freedom, and alignment with what God is doing next.

2026 Commitment: I commit not to carry into the new year what God has asked me to release. I commit to cease rehearsing old narratives and renew my mind with God’s truth, according to Romans 12:2, and walk forward lighter, freer, and aligned with God’s will for my life!

New Year Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your authoritative, inerrant, and inspired Word, which gives us clear instructions on how to be in alignment with You, Father. We come before You with honesty and humility, releasing our emotional and spiritual baggage, acknowledging that the weight of what we have been carrying was never intended for us to hold. Today, Father, we choose to release the baggage of jealousy, unforgiveness, bitterness, shame, guilt, doubt, and fear into Your capable hands. We decide to let go of what no longer aligns with Your truth and Your purpose for our lives. Guard our hearts and guide our steps. Help us walk into this new year lighter, freer, and fully surrendered to Your will. I move forward with faith, carrying lessons, not luggage, confident that You, the same faithful God, go before me, in the Precious, Powerful, and Preeminent Name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.