Never having been a coffee drinker, I don’t tend to meet up with people for java. My favorite way to connect with another guy is to go for a walk on a trail. One friend I enjoy walking with told me he recently got some new walking shoes that make him feel like he’s gliding. I had another friend years ago who had me try a new design of tennis shoes he’d bought that had springs in the heels! Whatever kind of shoe you wear, it makes a difference whether they fit. I’ve learned the hard way that if you are running, hiking, or walking a lot in an ill-fitting shoe, it can hurt your foot or turn a toenail black from repeated impact on the downhills.
Carrie and I watched a funny movie a while back that put a different twist on “if the shoe fits.” It was a takeoff on Cinderella, but about sneakers, or Kicks, as they called them in the film. And the emphasis was on authenticity—revealing your essence by what style and color of shoes you wore.
Self-expression aside, many fall into walks of life that are inauthentic for them, perhaps because they followed someone who left “big shoes to fill.” Ephesians 2:10 tells us that each one of us is God’s workmanship, created in Jesus for good works, which God prepared for us beforehand so we would walk in them. The Greek word for workmanship here is poeima, from which we derive the English word, poem. The Bible reveals we’ve been gifted differently and serve different roles in both our work and as part of the body of Christ. God wants to lead us into a fulfilling life consistent with our unique design. We’ll always be uncomfortable walking in shoes that don’t fit.
But even in a great-fitting pair, if something gets in my shoe, each step becomes more uncomfortable. Sometimes a piece of trail gravel gets in there. I can try to ignore the irritant for a while, but it eventually poses a real hindrance, not only to my enjoyment, but also to my forward progress. What do I do when I feel a rock down there? Stop, unlace my shoe, and remove the pebble.
Sometimes we’re slower to recognize less obvious impediments in our lives. Impede literally means “to shackle the feet,” and an impediment describes something that holds us back. Sometimes we unknowingly collect hindrances that cause unnecessary stress, pain, or delay in our lives. When we remove them, we experience the same kind of instant relief as getting a rock out of our shoe! Those who don’t know God walk in darkness and don’t even recognize what causes them to stumble (Proverbs 4:19). But when believers walk in the light of God’s Word, seeking His presence and His wisdom, God reveals those rocks in our shoes that are holding us back from the good things He has for us. I encourage You to ask God if your shoes fit, and if so, whether there are any rocks slowing you down!
He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me upon my high places (Psalm 18:33).
Wonderful! Thanks for the useful analogies between an everyday activity (walking) and our spiritual lives, JB. I’m so grateful that you continue to take time out of your very busy life, to share these reflections with others. You are blessing us with your gifts!