Well today is the beginning of a two part note. So be warned that this one, and the one next Thursday / Friday, are connected. Also know that neither is too long.
You know that our shoes are symbols of how we live and what we do. If you go to my closet I have a good amount of shoes (and boots). Some old, some new, some dirty, some clean, and some for specific uses (cleats, cycling shoes, old running shoes just for mowing, etc). Simply put, we all have different shoes for different occasions and duties.
I am not a very formal guy so I only have one pair of good dress shoes (funerals, weddings, special occasions). They are black, good brand (i.e. comfortable) and I bought them on sale, so they are perfect for me. Other descent shoes I own are two pair of running shoes (which I wear 80+% of the time - including to work), a pair of black Doc Martens, and a pair of brown Timberland leather work shoes. In addition these, there are two pair of work boots, a few misc pair of assorted old boots (light hikers, brown leather work etc), lots of old running shoes, a few pair of sport specific shoes (cycling shoes, soccer cleats, basketball shoes) as a mentioned before, and a few pairs of shoes that I have no idea why or how I got them.
I point this out to say that I have a wide variety of shoes, and no matter the occasion or need I am ready. That is my personality, ready and willing for anything. With that said, the majority of my shoes are casual, functional and comfortable, which is also a reflection of me and my lifestyle most of the time. On the other hand, my sister in law probably owns 50 pair of heels and boots (all dressy and fashionable), and one pair of running shoes. That is her lifestyle - social, clubbing, hip and single. Our shoes do tell a lot about our worlds, and who we are.
I once heard a salesman say that he only looks at two things on potential client - their shoes and their watch, those two things tell you all you need to know about the person. Interesting idea, and one that I will simply leave you to ponder on your own as I have on my own.
That idea though, that our shoes speak to how we are perceived, is key to my thoughts today. If we show up at a track meet in dress shoes we are judged as foolish. In the same way, if we go on a job interview for a public sales position with dirty boots we are likely to not get hired.
Much of our ability to perform and flourish is determined by having the correct shoe for that activity. The fact that our shoes, and how they perform / look, say so much about us tells me that our spiritual shoes probably also say a lot about us as well.
There are people in the body of Christ that only have work boots, and they wear them all the time. They never enjoy the blessing of a special occasion with God. They toil for God, never understanding that it is not just labor that we are called to. There are also people within the body that only wear formal (Sunday meeting and such) spiritual shoes. They never venture into the world of labor for the Lord. Some only wear spiritual running shoes and they sprint for one place to another, never really dwelling anywhere for long and never getting deeply involved in anything. There are also those that have good shoes, but they need to clean them up a bit where they are able to enter more places for the Lord. Some even wear different shoes for every event, a good first step, but they still seem to show up with the wrong kind of event shoes on most of the time. My point in this is like my closet of physical shoes we all need to have a variety of spiritual shoes. We need this variety of “spiritual shoes” where we are able to function and perform the various duties and opportunities that will, and do, arise in our spiritual life.
God equips us with all the shoes we need, and also He tells us which pair we need to be wearing at the moment. Many times however, we miss the shoe memo or just fall into wearing the same pair all the time and never venturing into the rest of spiritual shoe closet. That is not the call or way of the God of creation. He gave all that follow Him the power to command legions of angels, we are all spiritually gifted, we all should have the same fruits of the spirit in our lives, and we all are coheirs to Heaven. None of those things are designed to give us a narrow, single, or laser focus within the body.
Today I pray that we all learn to dig a bit deeper into the spiritual shoe closet and find the specific spiritual shoes we need today to accomplish what God has for us. We may discover that the right shoes for today are in good shape still, but they need a bit of cleaning before we head out. We may discover an unopened shoe box with a brand new pair of shoes for us today because the last pair of that style is a bit worn and they need replacement. Hopefully we will not discover a pair of unused shoes that have been sitting in our closet for years unused.
Be strong, stay courageous, and serve God mightily.
