Shoes of Peace

Ephesians 6:15 "And having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace;"





Let me take just a minute to be brutally honest. I'm a distance runner. At least five or six days out of the week, my feet pound the pavement (or the treadmill) for a minimum of 6 to 7 miles at a time. My feet are... well....not my best feature. I think that's why I love pretty shoes - so they can cover up my not-so-pretty feet!

My friend Gabrielle has come up with her top five reasons why shoes are her favorite accessory. (You can check out her awesome blog at http://www.chickchatwithgod.blogspot.com.

1. They never make you look fat.


2. You can buy them on fat days and they actually fit and look good.


3. They are never immodest (toe cleavage doesn’t turn anyone on).


4. They cannot be outgrown and they don’t shrink.


5. They make you feel pretty.

Shoes help prepare us for a specific purpose. Though most men may never understand why it's important for us to have a closet dedicated to shoes alone, WE know that certain shoes serve a certain purpose. The same is true for the shoes God has laid out for us. You can't do His work if you're in the wrong shoes. What if I showed up to run my next race in a pair of heels? Might slow me down a bit. Or what if I coupled an evening gown with my Nike's? That'd be a fashion NO. So be prepared by putting on His shoes to do His work. How? Spend time in the Word. Pray. Serve others. Hang out with Christian friends. All of these things will help you prepare for whatever path God has set for you in life.

God's shoes bring the Gospel. Turns out there may be hope for me! Isaiah 52:7 says, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” God declares that our feet are beautiful (no matter how much we run!) if we tell others about Jesus. I'll admit...I used to be afraid of sharing my faith. I didn't want to offend anyone, and I certainly didn't want another reason to be made fun of. But I'll never forget what happened to me in high school. One of my best friends was not a Christian, so I invited her to go with me to church camp. A bunch of our friends were going, so it wasn't hard to convince her that "everyone who was anyone would be there." The first few days, she was sort of hesitant and unsure of what was going on in worship, and then I remember watching her cry during about the third service. She turned to me and told me that she didn't know Jesus and she was afraid she would go to hell. I got one of the counselors to step outside with us, and right there, she accepted Christ. Later that night, she looked at me and said, "Michelle, we've been friends for years. Why didn't you tell me earlier?" From that moment on, I've been afraid NOT to share my faith. I can't imagine any worse guilt than knowing that one of my friends would spend eternity in hell because I never told them.

God's shoes bring peace. In this crazy world, it's almost hard to comprehend what things would be like if life was actually peaceful. But Jesus told us that He would leave peace with us (John 14:27), and Paul wrote that Jesus Himself is our peace (Ephesians 2:14) through His blood (Colossians 1:20). Peace is defined as a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, especially in personal relations. (Think about the girls at school...or even in your church!) Peace is freedom from any strife, dissension, annoyance, distraction, and anxiety. It is a state of tranquillity or serenity. I don't know about you, but most of the time, my world is not like that! Sometimes, I let it get to me, and I get frustrated with all of the conflict. I want to wear a permanent t-shirt that says, "I DON'T DO DRAMA!" But what am I doing to bring about peace? Have I asked God to bear my heart's burdens lately? Have I asked him to purify my thoughts? Sometimes, the simplest things are right in front of us, and we don't even take advantage of the blessings that God is LONGING to give us. Philippians 4:7 reads, "And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

We are to walk in His shoes. There are so many things in this world that are fake. Most people are just longing for something that is authentic, something that is REAL. When people watch you, do they see Christ, or are they blinded by you? 1 John 2:6 teaches, "Whoever says He lives in Christ must walk as Jesus did." Those are some pretty big shoes to fill... but a high calling and an honor that shouldn't be taken lightly.

So are you ready for a challenge? Give yourself a spiritual pedicure, and share the Gospel this week with someone who needs Jesus. :)

We're going to dig a little deeper in the pile in the closet tomorrow, so be praying over this in preparation...

2 Corinthians 5:7

"For we walk by faith, not by sight."