Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:04 Welcome to the Life Refresh podcast. My name is Ryan Robinson, and if you are looking for a podcast that is designed to uplift, encourage and revive your heart, mind, and spirit, you're in the right place. Welcome to the journey of Becoming the version of You God designed from the foundations of the earth. Now, let's begin. Hello and welcome back to Life Refresh podcast. Excited and delighted to have you back again to, for a podcast that, um, I think is really going to be impactful. I know we've had some, uh, some great topics here in the last few weeks and, uh, this particular topic I find is actually really challenging for many of us, but I don't, I don't think we really determine or really process how much, uh, this applies to everyone. And I've, uh, and again, we're just, I'm just gonna jump right into it.
Speaker 1 00:01:05 Uh, there is a thing that I, um, I've liked a lot, um, and it is a backpack. I love bags. I think I might've alluded to this in several podcasts ago, but I really, uh, enjoy a good backpack. I don't know what it is. Oh, actually, I do. When I was growing up, when I was young, um, I used to carry a lot of stuff with me. The, my earliest memory of carrying a lot of items in my backpack was actually me bringing, I would say, most of my Ninja Turtles in a ninja turtle backpack to kindergarten, <laugh>, or no preschool. And, and I remember I put so much in that bag that it ended up ripping, uh, toward the top strap, I believe. And, um, I ended up getting another one. And I just remember how much stuff I had in it. So I guess you could say it a lot.
Speaker 1 00:02:12 At a early age, very early age, I had quite the, the taste for baggage. The older I've gotten, I enjoyed getting backpacks. I enjoyed, uh, sling backpacks. I have gotten goodness gracious, regular backpacks. I've gotten slim backpacks, I've gotten messenger bags, I have gotten, um, all kinds of bags. And then again, I found that one, there's so many different kinds, and depending on what your expertise is or your comfortability, uh, you can find everything you want <laugh> in those things. But the other challenge is when it comes to finding the right bag, there is a rate, a weight requirement with them. I'm gonna say that again. There is a weight requirement when it comes to certain bags. So, um, we will just use a messenger bag. And a messenger bag kind of, um, looks like a, uh, basically like an oversized purse, really. And the thing is about a messenger bag is that a messenger bag is designed to have lighter items in it.
Speaker 1 00:03:26 And because of its design, it will, if not properly packaged well, it will actually throw off the way you walk because you will start to have more weight on one side than the other. And you will change the way that you walk to accommodate that. Same thing with a sling backpack. A sling backpack provides, again, nice, you know, single strap. It's very nice. But again, it's a cross body kind of vibe. So because of that, it actually requires more effort and actually causes more fatigue, causes, shoulders to get tired or those kinds of things. So you can, and just like with a backpack or regular backpack, if you just only had one strap on, you would throw off your gate as well. So the thing is about depending on the bag that you were, you know, fancying at that time, you also run the risk of actually throwing off the way that you walk to accommodate it.
Speaker 1 00:04:31 And, uh, it's amazing that, uh, our baggage switching from material baggage to our emotional baggage, to our mental baggage, spiritual baggage, it has a way of throwing off the way that we walk things out in our lives. It is something that we typically don't want to address because we've actually been used to carrying it for so long, and because we've been carrying it for so long, it just becomes a part of us. It becomes a part of our daily routine. We pack everything up in it, and it has everything that we need and everything we possibly might need and everything that we hold dear in that bag. You can really, you know, you could spend as much as you want. You can go to, uh, online and get a Herschel backpack, which is like really inexpensive, or you can get you a Gucci bag or a Louis Vuitton bag or whatever high designer you like.
Speaker 1 00:05:30 But at the end of the day, it's a bag that's designed to carry something or conceal something that makes it easier to carry versus putting in a pocket or keeping it in your hand. It's designed to help you carry something hands free. And because of the amount of stuff that we put in it, have you ever seen someone who had an overstuffed purse or backpack? Now, it might be some of you listening, but I, I'm, I'm gonna put my hand up and talk about myself for a minute. I was one of those individuals who overstuffed their back, not just with Ninja Turtle stuff, not just Ninja Turtle stuff. I grew up y'all, I used to put in my bag, goodness books, all kinds of notebooks, books that I'm reading, phones, chargers, cables, multiple devices, goodness gracious pens, man, I think that probably covers most of it.
Speaker 1 00:06:31 And the, the challenge about it is, y'all, I used to fill up, I felt like I had to fill up the pockets in the backpack. I remember I, I ended up getting this, uh, this backpack. And by, by the way, my wife gets triggered by the word backpack these days, so I'm hoping that she won't listen to this one. But it, it actually, um, was a thing of, of pride for me to try and find ways to maximize the use of the bag. So if I found that I had multiple pockets in the bag, I would try to find a way to fill it, whether it was with gum, pens, tissues, whatever. I would put everything that I think that I might need in the bag. And, uh, you know, my chiropractic bill <laugh> over the years, uh, indicates that, uh, it's not really good to carry things like that, but we are actually designed as human beings to not carry as much as we think we can carry.
Speaker 1 00:07:36 There are other mechanisms that actually help to distribute that. But at some point during that time of you traveling and walking around or making your daily commute and, uh, doing those kinds of things, you at some point have to take a rest and take the bag off, take the bag off. But the challenge again, for many of us is that we don't like to drop the bag. There is a, uh, a song in our, if anyone knows, I'm a huge music person, and it was a, a song called, uh, bag Lady by er Badu. I'm just gonna say the first, uh, the first verse, I'm wanna say the first verse. Yeah, I guess it's, it's a verse verse.
Speaker 2 00:08:26 You gonna hurt dragging all that. I guess nobody ever told you, oh, you hold on. Is you, is you, you,
Speaker 1 00:08:44 We'll put a link in the show notes. If you like Spotify or Apple Music, you can figure out where it is. The thing is, that is the initial way this
Speaker 1 00:08:55 This song starts is recognizing like, listen, you ain't, all the stuff you're carrying isn't necessary. Actually, we are actually designed to not carry as much as we think we need. And, um, you know, just like I said earlier, many podcasts, people who have lived the most productive, most purpose-filled and profitable life, live a life that is lean. They only bring with them the things that they need for the journey. And typically, it's not a whole lot. Again, this isn't minimalism by any means, but I do wanna provide some opportunities and more ideas around dec cluttering in a later podcast. But I want people, and I, I want to really nail down that there's some clear indications actually in scripture about baggage. And, um, it is a really a, a very insightful perspective of what is to come in one, uh, particular Bible story. So if we, if you open up your Bibles or Google, um, this, it is first Samuel chapter 10, verse 20, and we'll start at verse 20.
Speaker 1 00:10:05 And lemme provide some context here before I, um, before I get into the verse. But, um, Israel, several chapters before is demanding a king like the other nations. Before the nation of Israel was what we called a theocracy. Therefore, God was their king. They did not have a physical visible king in the earth. So the people of Israel come to the Prophet Samuel and say, we want to be like all the other nations. We want to be able to have a king that can physically represent us to the, the nations. And Samuel's like, listen, y'all, I don't think y'all really want that <laugh>. I don't, I don't think you really want that. You know, God is should be enough for you all. He has defended you, he has fought for you. Why would you need one? In an indigenous world, we want to be like everyone else.
Speaker 1 00:10:53 First point, you don't conform with what is normal with the people that are around you. We are uniquely and fashionly designed by God to do certain things. And particularly those things are cult. Well, not all the time are culturally acceptable. In fact, they might be counter-cultural and cause you to lose friends, cause you to have a opposition. And all you're trying to do is just be real and be honest. So, um, that one was free. But, uh, again, this book, or I would say these several chapters prior to chapter 10, A Samuel is directed to this man from the tribe of Benjamin named Saul. And this is Old Testament Saul, not Saul from the New Testament. Saul is an incredibly tall guy. Um, the Bible says that he's handsome guy, but he stood head and feet over head and shoulders over everyone else. So, you know, clearly he's like, well, um, the Lord's like, Hey, this is my anointed, uh, personal guy.
Speaker 1 00:12:01 And, um, you know, they've been going through several days and, uh, you know, there's several examples and things that go on during this, uh, during chapter nine. But, um, essentially God basically says, this is the king that you should anoint. And, um, after that, you know, this was clear. So Samuel and, and every custom of anointing a king pulled, uh, pours a flask of olive oil over his head. And, uh, does this because the Lord has appointed him to be the ruler over Israel. And, um, there's some instructions that are provided now in order to properly, um, share that, uh, a king has been selected that God selected, um, you know, essentially they have rejected God to lead them, therefore they wanted a man to lead them. And God selected a man to be that individual, to lead them. And Saul was that. So in custom, the prophet would bring the clans and the entire tribes of Israel, uh, together to properly introduce and anoint the man of God who will be the king over Israel.
Speaker 1 00:13:27 And, um, I'm gonna read this, um, 'cause I think it is super evident, but it was also a foreshadowing of things to come. So first Samuel, uh, chapter 10, beginning of verse 20. So Samuel brought all of the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot. Then he brought each family of the tribe of Benjamin before the Lord and the family of the match rights was chosen. And finally, Saul's son of Gish was chosen from among them. They looked for him, he had disappeared. So they asked the Lord, where is he? And the Lord replied, he's hiding among the baggage. So they found him and brought him out. He stood head and shoulders above everyone else. Then Samuel said to all the people, this is the man, the Lord has chosen as your king. No one in all Israel is like him.
Speaker 1 00:14:29 Then all the people shouted, long live the king. These are one of the small details that scripture gives us. And I want to say that sometimes we can kind of foreshadow, and I can just tell you here later on, Saul King, Saul was the one who also disobeyed God. Um, during time of war, he didn't wait long enough for Samuel to get there to properly, uh, prepare the sacrifice. Therefore, um, he essentially lost his favor with God. It wasn't always immediate. And then, uh, in first Samuel chapter 16, we find that Saul, who is mourning the loss of, of, of Saul's favor with the Lord, um, is then instructed to go to Jesse's house, to anoint David a man after God's own heart. And, um, again, the guy wasn't perfect, but the thing is, what we find in this scripture is wherever the king was found prior to being anointed or being pronounced is an indication of the character of that king.
Speaker 1 00:15:45 So before King Saul was announced, he was found amongst the baggage, and they had to pull him out of the baggage. He was hiding from what he was called to do. Perhaps he thought that he wasn't good enough for whatever the reason is, but he felt more comfortable amongst his stuff than standing in everything that God called him to be. Now, contrary to that, in one Samuel chapter 16, everyone typically forgets David and he says, Jesse says, or Samuel says, Hey, you know, I've seen all your sons this, this isn't the right one. Do you have another said? Yeah, I got another one. But he's out in the field <laugh> with the sheep, and uh, he's like, everyone will wait here till he gets here. So somebody go get him. And at that point, the Bible says, the oil then poured, and it was then clear that David was to be the next king of Israel.
Speaker 1 00:16:43 So what we find is that we have two kings, one with baggage, one with the staff, one with heavy things, another with light things. There are so many pieces to this scripture, again, with this initial story in one Samuel. This also leads to David, uh, fighting Goliath. And there's several indications during this time that actually Saul really loved to have heavy things. He, he liked to wear armor and he did everything that a king should be doing and wear everything that the king should wear. But David himself was actually a king that was different than everyone else. He typically wasn't the guy you would recruit to start leading soldiers and armies. He didn't come from that kind of pedigree. So the thing is, God found a less cluttered king and decided to work with David instead of working with Saul who chose his stuff and his things and the opportunities that weighed him down over what God had already said to him. So with that, we're gonna go through a process here of, uh, decluttering our lives. There are several areas by which we have to declutter, but decluttering gives us the opportunity to look at what we already have, examine, build on it, appreciate it, and also provide a space to really let what should be standing alone
Speaker 1 00:18:32 Be the best thing that it can be. This is the thing y'all, Saul couldn't be seen and the Bible says he was head and shoulders over everyone, but no one can find this guy in the baggage, which means either he ducked down or the back was too high. And the thing is, he was a king. And all that stuff was covering up the majesty of his kingdom and his kingdom. How much
Speaker 1 00:19:05 Stuff is covering up who you've been called to be our people's opinions, our job titles, our fill in the blank for you, previous accolades, the fear of success and the fear of failure. Whatever those things are, whatever that baggage is, is it baggage that you are still holding on that is actually keeping you, holding you back from obeying God and being everything that you have been called to be? I'm glad to get on this journey about decluttering. It is a gift to walk lighter. And, uh, in the next podcast, we're gonna talk about some of this stuff, but I, um, I really want, uh, you to share this podcast with somebody, particularly someone that you know is just carrying way too much way.
Speaker 3 00:19:56 Um,
Speaker 1 00:19:58 Jesus said, for my yoke is easy and my burden is like, cast all your caress onto him, for he caress for you. This is, this is the guy we're talking about, but for some reason we like to hold onto our things and we're gonna get to that core reason, um, in the next few episodes. So keep it locked here, subscribe, tell a friend, and we'll see you in the next one.
