“Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.” 2 Kings 5:1

I remember the day clearly. I had just gotten married, and my wife and I were traveling for our honeymoon to Banjul in Gambia. Full of excitement, I walked into the airport, only to be confronted with an unexpected challenge.

The airline we were flying with was a tourist carrier that allowed just one bag. When my luggage was placed on the scale, it was far above the allowed weight. The attendant looked at me firmly and said, “You have excess baggage.” The fee for the extra weight was as much as the cost of my flight ticket.

That moment stayed with me. It wasn’t just about the money; it was a lesson. In life, many of us carry excess baggage, weights and burdens that cost us more than we realize. Some of us are paying more than the life God gave us because we refuse to let go of what drags us down.

In the Bible, Naaman was a great army commander, but he carried excess baggage, leprosy. His position and victories could not hide his hidden weight.

Like him, we often carry things we need to offload. Excess baggage in life can take many forms: guilt, pride, unforgiveness, addiction, fear. And they cannot be ignored, because they slow our journey and sometimes even prevent us from boarding the flight to our true destination.

Some excess baggage can only be dealt with in three ways:

• Offload – intentionally dropping what does not serve us.

• Instruction – following guidance and wisdom beyond ourselves.

• Beg for mercy – humbly seeking grace where we cannot help ourselves.

The good news is this: Jesus has already paid for our excess baggage. On the cross, He bore our weight so we could travel light on the flight of life. We don’t have to struggle with the cost anymore. The price has been covered, the burden lifted, the way made clear.

To board the flight of life and journey toward eternal life, we must surrender our excess baggage at His feet. Only then do we discover the freedom of traveling light, unburdened, and fully alive.