This time of year, every year, people all over the world prepare for a new year. Most will make New Year’s resolutions for self-improvement — to exercise more, follow a healthier diet, save money, spend money, work on their bucket list – but, sadly, most resolutions are broken within a month.

I admit I’m a late bloomer because I’ve come to realize this year I can’t work on plans for the new year until I’ve taken care of business today.

Therefore, this year I plan to end well.

What do I mean by “ending well?” I choose not to carry all that “baggage” into tomorrow … baggage of regret, resentment, hurt, anger, fear … you name it. Ending well may call for me to make amends to someone I’ve hurt or forgive someone who I feel hurt me. It has taken me a long time and a lot of effort to realize my imperfections and how I act and react. I don’t want to live that way anymore – that ache in my bones that never goes away. Getting rid of all the “baggage” isn’t easy, but it promises to be worth it.

There’s a story in the Bible that speaks about getting rid of baggage very well. In Genesis 25, we read about Jacob and Esau, twin boys born to Isaac and Rebekah. Before their birth, God told Rebekah: “Two nations are in your womb . . . ; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23). From Esau’s line sprang the Edomites, enemies of the Israelites. From Jacob, the younger, sprang the twelve tribes of Israel. Jacob convinced Esau to sell his birthright for a bowl of stew and tricked his father into giving him the firstborn’s blessing that was due to Esau. Although they had a rocky relationship, they were eventually reunited and able to forgive one another. In the end, both brothers came to the place where neither required anything from the other. It was enough for Jacob and Esau to forgive and be forgiven and walk away free from the heavy baggage of the past.

In a recovery class I lead, I have participants carry a bag of rocks around with them for a week. The weight lugging those rocks around reminds you of how powerful hurts are to hang onto. Some things are just too heavy for us to carry. Emotional baggage from past hurt, for example, can weigh us down with bitterness and hatred. God does not want that for us; He wants us to have freedom through forgiving people and, when possible, reconciling with them. The deeper the pain, the longer this may take and that’s okay.

So how do we get rid of our baggage? By letting go; it’s not easy; but definitely possible. A wise pastor shared the ABC method with me: Assess; Beware; Check. Assess your baggage: Search your heart and pray that God would reveal to you the baggage you’re carrying. Beware of baggage: Baggage can come from anywhere. Be aware of situations that cause you to worry or cause you to make comparisons. I don’t know what your baggage is, but we all have some. Check your baggage: Leave it all at God’s feet. Drop your bags and let him pick them up. The best of all is there’s no weight limit!

Whether you grew up in a dysfunctional home, had a bad marriage, or life has handed you everything on a silver platter— everyone has baggage which affects everything we do, every relationship we have, and every opportunity we are given. God is perfectly capable of managing our each and every day.

Will you join me in ending well so we can step forward into a new day and New Year?

“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.’” Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

Debby Efurd is co-founder of Cary John Efurd Ministries of Pittsburg, TX. She has been a contributor to Bound for Life and written numerous articles published in LifeNews, Christian Post and the Baptist Standard, and is the author of Go Tell It! Debby can be contacted at caryjohnefurdministries@ gmail.com