How are you doing with that backpack? Last week in youth, I described a backpack that everyone carries around. It has your to-do list, stress, happy moment, worries, thoughts, questions, and all the other pieces of life. Sometimes when I come to church, I leave my backpack at the door and try to ignore it while I worship Jesus. I'll tell myself "I know I have all of those things, Jesus, but right now I want to focus on you. I'll deal with the backpack later". YES - it is so good to focus on who God is and not always have the focus on your needs or wants, but Jesus is so much better at going through that backpack than you are. James 5 says:
"13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore,confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit." ~ James 5:13-18 (ESV)
These verse don't say "if you're suffering, stuff it in your backpack" or "if you're excited, stuff it in the backpack" or "if you're sinning, stuff it in your backpack". These verses contain prayer and praise and community and confession and some more prayer. Some of you are probably pretty good at talking to God throughout the day and some of you aren't quite there yet. Backpacks are important - they carry memories and reminders, but if you stuff all of life's struggles into the backpack, the important pieces will get overwhelmed.
So, bring your backpack to the alter instead of leaving it outside of church. Lay before God all the things you're carrying - he knows you better, loves you more, and has more power than any human being. If you've kept your backpack light by bringing things to God as life happens, then still lay your backpack at the alter and praise Him for always being bigger than your backpack.
So, bring your backpack to the alter instead of leaving it outside of church. Lay before God all the things you're carrying - he knows you better, loves you more, and has more power than any human being. If you've kept your backpack light by bringing things to God as life happens, then still lay your backpack at the alter and praise Him for always being bigger than your backpack.