[Proverbs 23:4-5]
There’s nothing like flying with just one carry-on bag. It’s nice to know you can go straight from landing to your ground transportation, skipping over the baggage claim area.
It’s been much easier to do that when I’m flying alone than when we travel as a family. But that’s okay; over the years I’m amazed at how my wife has become a minimalist when it comes to packing for trips out of country.
Our kids, well, let’s just say they are accustomed to air travel. More than once we’ve caught them in their rooms playing “airport”, complete with the check-in, passport control, security and baggage check, and boarding processes, and of course baggage claim after they get to destination. As they’ve gotten older and had more opportunities to pack their own bags for real-life travel, I think they are learning the value of taking less stuff with them for their journeys.
I think the Biblical focus is that, as we make our pilgrimage through life on this earth, we travel light.
We lack discernment if the goal of our work is to acquire more stuff, according to Proverbs 23:4. Our goal should be, rather, to bring glory to God (I Corinthians 10:31).
As far as material possessions go, the Bible teaches that we are to be content with two things: food and clothing (see I Timothy 6:6-10). That eliminates a whole lot of excess baggage, yes? Light travel frees up not only our hands – so that we can serve others and help them with their burden (Galatians 6:1-5) – but our minds and hearts, so that our concern can be for things eternal, not temporal (Colossians 3:2).
The accumulation of a lot of stuff where you live can make or break your effectiveness as a disciple maker, as well. A great story regarding this, especially for those who work cross culturally, is called “18 Barrels and Two Crates”. You might want to take a look at it here:
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