What My Shoes have Taught Me
One morning while I was getting dressed, it occurred to me that my shoes could teach a lot about life. Here are a few lessons.
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Comfortable shoes may need to be discarded. My favor pair of shoes is a pair I bought more than ten years ago and I still own them. I have had them resoled more times than I can remember. If I had my way I would wear them every day and they would be the only shoes I would ever wear. Now why would I do that? Answer—because they are comfortable. Those shoes have taught me is that I do what is comfortable. The truth is, even though these shoes are comfortable, I need to discard them.
Hurtful shoes must be dumped. I have another pair of shoes that under certain circumstances hurt my feet. Yet, I keep them and wear them anyway. The lesson my shoes have taught me is that I sometimes do what hurts me. Harmful shoes needs to be dumped.
New shoes need to be displayed. Paul speaks of “having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Eph. 6:15). When He penned these words, a Roman soldier was standing near him. Roman soldiers wore something similar to heavy boots. What are the boots of preparation of the gospel of peace?
The answer is protection. We need the shoes of the gospel to protect us. The gospel tells us that we are sinners, that Christ died for our sins, and that we must trust Him for peace with God. You can’t buy these shoes. The only way you can get them is as a gift.
It is possible that the word “preparation” could be translated “foundation” (this Greek word is so translated in the Septuagint; cf. Ps. 88:14; Ezra 2:68, etc.). In other words, the foundation of the believer is the gospel. Believer, then, are to stand solidly on the foundation of the good news of peace. They have peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1) and they are to let the peace of God rule their hearts (Col. 3:15).
It is also possible that this passage is saying that the believer should be ready to defend and spread the gospel. After all, in Paul’s picture, the gospel is on the believer’s feet. Whether or not that is Paul’s point in this passage, it is a biblical point made in Isaiah 52:7 and Romans 10:15.
So, my shoes have taught me that comfortable customs and harmful habits need to be put off and the gospel needs to be put on and published.
Some don’t have the shoes they need. They need a new pair of shoes, a pair called the gospel of peace. Some have, but do not use, the shoes they have. If you have gospel shoes, you need to wear them. Many have a pair of shoes called the gospel of peace, but they are wearing old shoes that need to be discarded. One of the problems with shoes is that it is hard to discard them. Ask Amilda Marcos.
© G. Michael Cocoris, 7/31/2001
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Comfortable shoes may need to be discarded. My favor pair of shoes is a pair I bought more than ten years ago and I still own them. I have had them resoled more times than I can remember. If I had my way I would wear them every day and they would be the only shoes I would ever wear. Now why would I do that? Answer—because they are comfortable. Those shoes have taught me is that I do what is comfortable. The truth is, even though these shoes are comfortable, I need to discard them.
Hurtful shoes must be dumped. I have another pair of shoes that under certain circumstances hurt my feet. Yet, I keep them and wear them anyway. The lesson my shoes have taught me is that I sometimes do what hurts me. Harmful shoes needs to be dumped.
New shoes need to be displayed. Paul speaks of “having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Eph. 6:15). When He penned these words, a Roman soldier was standing near him. Roman soldiers wore something similar to heavy boots. What are the boots of preparation of the gospel of peace?
The answer is protection. We need the shoes of the gospel to protect us. The gospel tells us that we are sinners, that Christ died for our sins, and that we must trust Him for peace with God. You can’t buy these shoes. The only way you can get them is as a gift.
It is possible that the word “preparation” could be translated “foundation” (this Greek word is so translated in the Septuagint; cf. Ps. 88:14; Ezra 2:68, etc.). In other words, the foundation of the believer is the gospel. Believer, then, are to stand solidly on the foundation of the good news of peace. They have peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1) and they are to let the peace of God rule their hearts (Col. 3:15).
It is also possible that this passage is saying that the believer should be ready to defend and spread the gospel. After all, in Paul’s picture, the gospel is on the believer’s feet. Whether or not that is Paul’s point in this passage, it is a biblical point made in Isaiah 52:7 and Romans 10:15.
So, my shoes have taught me that comfortable customs and harmful habits need to be put off and the gospel needs to be put on and published.
Some don’t have the shoes they need. They need a new pair of shoes, a pair called the gospel of peace. Some have, but do not use, the shoes they have. If you have gospel shoes, you need to wear them. Many have a pair of shoes called the gospel of peace, but they are wearing old shoes that need to be discarded. One of the problems with shoes is that it is hard to discard them. Ask Amilda Marcos.
© G. Michael Cocoris, 7/31/2001