Romans 6:6
Your old evil desires were nailed to the
cross with him; that part of you that loves to sin was crushed and
fatally wounded, so that your sin-loving body is no longer under sin’s
control, no longer needs to be a slave to sin;
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
My name is Debbie, and I am
a shoe-a-holic! I have loved pretty shoes all of my life…dating back
to the twice-a-year sale my mother would take my sister and me to at
Kempner’s Shoe Store in Little Rock, back in the 1960s. Because it was a
half price sale – and my Aunt Altha noted that she and I had a big foot
that was “the same size as half the world” – the selection in my size
was often a little “interesting.” This would explain why I once had a
pair of orange leather penny loafers! Since my mother and grandmother
made most of our clothes, my outfits were created in colors that
coordinated with said shoes!
As I got older, the heels on my
shoes got higher, and I began to acquire a few pair that were beautiful
to look at – and made my legs look fantastic – but literally were a PAIN
to wear. They didn’t feel so bad at first – and honestly, I felt so
great in them that I tried to ignore any discomfort. But over time,
these “high heels” started to really irritate me. Ours was a love-hate
relationship. I began to realize that this kind of shoe was truly
uncomfortable and not right for me. But I had purchased them…spent
money on them…and they were fun (momentarily)…so I felt obligated to
wear them, at least once in a while!
I’ve gotten rid of most of
these pain-inflicting “stilettos”…and I have to tell you, it was
cathartic to let them go. I’ve traded them for “heel shoes” (as Timothy
calls them) with a shorter, more sensible - yet still-attractive - heel
height. These days, I am more concerned about comfort and the freedom
to concentrate on what really matters than on whether my legs look lean
and shapely – and my feet are killing me! I look at the two or three
pair of HIGH heels I still possess and remind myself that they represent
someone I once was…a person who wasn’t necessarily that bad - but one
who was not totally comfortable in her own skin, either.
I hope
you see where I am headed. Maybe, like me…it took you a while to
realize that there were elements of your life that were not fitting
well…that you were not comfortable in your present situation…and that
the culprit was the “ill-fitting-shoes” of sin. Maybe your life seemed
fun…and maybe some situations were areas that you adapted to, like the
“orange-loafers” of your life, and ran with it – even when these things
didn’t seem to be quite right.
Hear the GOOD NEWS! Today is
the day to “clean your shoe closet”…to get rid of anything that pinches,
doesn’t go with any of your clothing, or simply feels wrong. This is
the day to nail your sins to the cross with Jesus and rid yourself of
them forever. Even if you have been a Christian for a long time, you
may still have a few areas where you struggle…a few “pair of shoes” from
the past in your closet that remind you of where you once were. Give
those areas to Jesus today. Let Him help handle them for you and free
you of their burden.
I’ll be honest…I have ONE THING in my
wardrobe today that is a light shade of orange. I loved those shoes when
I was in 7th or 8th grade, but orange is really not my color. It’s time
for us to recognize that we have been limping along in our spiritual
lives and “making do” with our sins long enough. Make today the day
that you nail them to the cross, once and for all, and walk/run in the
freedom and comfort of a life in Christ Jesus. The hands and feet of
Jesus work best when they aren’t hurting. How are your “feet” feeling
today?
©2015 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment