Appropriate Footwear
By: Misty Grimes
Day One: For Our Peace
Focal Scripture: “As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15).
Introduction:
A few years back I was driving through the mall parking lot on my way to Office Max. At the front entrance to the mall a large group of people we gathered waiting for the mall to open and I wondered what event they had going on that would attract so many people. When I went into Office Max I asked one of the workers: “What’s going on in the mall today?” He kind of just stared at me dumbfounded for a moment and then I added, “There’s a lot of people standing outside the front entrance waiting to get in so I was wondering what was going on.” His reply shocked me into silence, “Oh, that. They are waiting for the shoe store to open because the new Jordan’s come out today.” (For those of you not familiar…Michael Jordan was one of the greatest players in the NBA and his line of Nike Air Jordan sneakers have been in high demand since they were first introduced back in 1985). Can you imagine waiting in line for hours to purchase a pair of sneakers that cost more each pair than some people’s rent? (To put it in perspective the average pair of Jordan’s cost anywhere from $250 – $550. Collectible Jordan’s list upwards of $10,000+ Don’t believe me, Google it). In order to be victorious in our daily battles we need to be sure that it’s not Jordan’s that we are wearing but rather the shoes of peace that is part of the Armor of God.
The Roman half-boot was more like an open-toed sandal that featured a hob-nailed sole with leather straps that tied around the ankle and shin. The metal studs enabled a soldier to find firm footing on uneven terrain during battle. The shoes are just as important as every other piece of the Armor of God because a shoeless soldier could run into real trouble in the heat of battle because he is going to encounter some debris. It may be nothing more than twigs and pebbles, but to a bare foot soldier that can cause serious pain thus the shoes allowed them to step freely and without fear while they turned their full attention to the battle at hand. Sometimes the enemies of the Roman Empire would place sharp, spiked objects on the ground in front of them before a battle. Any attacking soldier not wearing shoes substantial enough for the attack would soon find himself crippled or killed.
Lesson:
Just as the Roman Soldiers faced many obstacles if they went into battle without any shoes on, so do we because our enemy, Satan, will use every opportunity to litter our path with distraction and traps. Today we will look at the two things we are assured of when we equip ourselves with the shoes of peace.
First is the Peace with God – Salvation. The gospel provides the sure foundation of knowing that we have peace with God. The following verses remind us that before receiving Christ as our Savior (before we equipped ourselves with the shoes of peace) we were hostile and alienated from God – enemies by choice. But after we received Christ, we became reconciled, brought back in relationship with God, and are therefore at peace and no longer war.
- Romans 5:1 tells us: “Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”.
- “Romans 5:10: “For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will be saved by his life.
- Colossians 1:12-22: “And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him”.
The second thing we can be assured of is the Peace of God in the storms of life. What is the peace of God and how does it help us to stand firm when hard times come into our lives?
- We need to replace our worry, fear and anxiety with prayer and thanksgiving for what God is about to do in our lives through our circumstances. Once we are able to do that we will experience a peace that is beyond all comprehension that will guard every area of our lives. Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”.
- No matter what we try to do to find peace in this world we will always fail. The things that we believe give us peace only provide temporary peace because it comes from the same place our troubles come from – the world. The only true, lasting source of peace is the peace that comes from Christ and our relationship with Him: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid” (John 14:27).
- Because we live in a fallen world we are daily faced with persecution and trials of many kinds. However in the midst of all this we can have not only peace in the midst of it all but also victory daily and in every situation. Why? “I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world” (John 16:33).
- There are two things that God asks us to do in order for his peace to be able to invade our lives and be ever present: Daily we must equip ourselves with the shoes of his peace and daily we must trust that the shoes will serve their purpose: “Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace – in peace because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord God you have an everlasting rock” (Isaiah 26:3-4).
- We must remember where our peace comes from not just every now and then but at all times! There is only one way and through One that true peace can be found: “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with all of you” (I Thessalonians 3:16).
Conclusion:
Knowing that we have peace with God through our salvation helps us to stand firm, to not stumble through life, no matter what circumstances we face. The shoes allow us to walk on otherwise painful terrain without fear and allows us to traverse the otherwise painful trials of life without fear knowing that what awaits is greater than anything we could possibly suffer in this world: “I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). Just as the Roman Soldiers faced many obstacles in their path that could cause them harm or lead to death if their feet were unprotected, our enemy, Satan will use every opportunity to litter our path with distractions and traps and only the shoes God gives us can give us the protection we need to keep moving safely across the battlefield. Thankfully the shoes that God gives us to wear that gives us peace, a firm foundation to stand on, and grounds us in life, cost us nothing as the price was paid by the shed blood of Christ on the cross making them priceless. We don’t have to stand in line and wait to receive our own very unique pair, all we have to do is ask and they are given to us. We can advance on the battlefield unafraid because we carry with us the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We can advance forward no matter what debris the enemy throws at us because we know that God has everything under control and that his plan cannot be thwarted by the devil because God is greater and Jesus has already been victorious over Satan: “Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (I John 4:4).
Application:
- Are you wearing the right footwear for the warfare you face daily?
- Are you recognizing your peace with God? He loves you and care for you.
- Are you being filled with the peace of God in your circumstances?
- Are there any “adjustments” you need to make in your footwear? Pray and listen to the still small voice and God and be sensitive to the changes that he may be calling you to make so that his peace can fill you complete.
Day Two: For Their Peace
Focal Scripture: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).
Introduction:
In day one we talked about how when we equip ourselves with the shoes of peace we receive not only peace with God (Salvation) but also the peace of God (a firm foundation to face our daily battles). Yet we are also given a responsibility when we equip ourselves with the shoes: we equip ourselves to move to share the gospel of peace with others who need to hear it, this is often to referred to as “The Great Commission”.
Lesson:
When we accept Jesus’ salvation, He opens our spiritual eyes and we are no longer blind and now we are called to help others to find their way to Jesus. We need to share with others that they too can have peace with God and also the peace of God. Satan knows his doom and his goal until he meets that end is to take as many as he can with him to suffer and be separated from God for eternity. God wants us to move forward and share His message with as many people as we can before it’s too late: “The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
The gospel of Jesus Christ includes the good news about Jesus, His grace and His plan of salvation for all mankind and this is a message we should be eager to share with others. Romans 10:14-15 says, “But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news”. In his book “Mere Christianity” C.S. Lewis expounds on this verse by saying: “The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became man for no other purpose.” Basically what he is saying is that God’s Church (remember the church is not the structure we worship in it is the body of believer’s) is sent to announce the good news of God’s Kingdom, which then will spread His way of peace around the whole world.
We spread his gospel of peace when we share with others how Christ has changed our lives. This world today so much needs to hear of this gospel of peace, a peace they have never known and, in their own sinful way are struggling so hard to find in the world and in spite of all their human attempts have been unable to obtain. They do not know the road to peace because no one has taken the time to reach out to them and show them that there is a better way. This is explained well in I Peter 3:15: “but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in yet”.
In Luke 9:1-2 Jesus brought a directive to His disciples that applies to us today: “”Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal”. We should respond to this directive just as the disciples did: “They departed and went through the villages, bringing the good news and curing diseases everywhere” (Luke 9:6).
Paul really got to the heart of it all when he said in Acts 20:24: “But I do not count my life of any value to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God’s grace”.
Conclusion:
When we equip ourselves with God’s footwear they move us to share the good news of the Gospel to others so that they too can experience the peace and stability that we have found and also so that they too can then carry the Good News to others. The Great Commission is not just a call that God places on certain Christians, it is a call he places on all believers. Yes gifts each of us in different ways however the gifts he gives us he gives us for one purpose – so that others may come to know Him. We can’t just sit back and say, “Well, that’s the pastor’s job” or “I don’t need to share Christ with him/her, someone else will do it.” When God speaks to your heart to share him with others it is your responsibility to be obedient to that call. Think about it, if the person who shared the gospel with you had the attitude the “someone else will do it, it’s not my job/calling) would you have come to know Christ? As the old saying goes, you may be the only Jesus some people ever see.
Application: