I’m not exactly sure when it happened, but some time after having children I became a professional caddy. 

No, I don’t hold their golf clubs. Instead, I find myself holding a whole lot of junk that doesn’t belong to me: candy wrappers, empty cups, gently used pieces of gum, socks hot off sweaty feet. 

I just stand there in disbelief thinking, “What do you want me to do with this stuff?” 

We carry stuff around all the time that doesn’t belong to us. Or, maybe it does belong to us, but it doesn’t have to be carried by us. 

Sin is baggage. It’s a weight. It’s like someone running with one of those weighted vests. Imagine doing that in Houston. . . in August. I’ve seen this crazy phenomenon, and usually I want to stop these people and gently remind them, “Sir, running is hard enough. There’s really no need to carry that additional weight!” 

If I didn’t know better, maybe King David hung out in Houston? He writes about confession, “For when I kept silent…day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer” (Psalm 32:3).

David felt the heaviness of his unconfessed sin. It’s out of touch with reality to deny we carry the heaviness of sin. It’s like walking around with cookie on our face, but denying our hand was in the jar. John says we are only deceiving ourselves when we do this.

What do we do when we’re carrying the weight of sin? Give it away. 

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Confession isn’t a hocus-pocus magical spell that gets us out of trouble. Confession agrees with God that our thoughts, words, and deeds are contrary to his holy character. Confession joins with the tax collector who cries out to God, “Be merciful to me, a sinner.” 

The good news? When we confess, God removes the unnecessary weight. He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins. It’s in His character to do so. You can count on it. Are you carrying around unnecessary weight? Paul’s words cheer us on: “Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely” (Hebrews 12:1). 

Hand over all that extra weight to your Father.