Got your shoes on?
“Put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared.” Ephesians 6:15 NLT
Another translation says – “Shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” NASB That’s code for “put your shoes on”. Have you ever had your mom say to you when you were a kid, “you’re not ready to go, you don’t even have your shoes on” I have…and I’ve said it to my kids. Having your shoes on means you are ready.
As followers of Jesus, we have to be ready for more than just going places. We have to be ready for conversations with friends, for discussions on things with eternal significance, and ready to defend why we believe what we believe. We have to put our shoes on.
Speaking of being ready. Have you ever had one of those conversations with someone, or read something in a book that you just can’t let go of? The thought or the words spoken just keep playing in your mind and you can’t shut it off. The tape is on autorepeat and just keeps getting louder and louder and louder until it is all you hear, all you think about, and it is so distracting that it becomes singular in focus.
I’m in one of those moments. A few friends and I are reading a book that is somewhat controversial. It is really challenging me to think, evaluate, dig, and wrestle with what I’ve always been taught. It is forcing me to answer some tough questions – Is every word of the Bible true? Is the Bible authoritative? Are all the words contained in the Bible absolute? What if the answers to those questions are no?
One of the statements in the book was that it can be harmful to say to a non-believer “the Bible says we should….” Rather we should say “Jesus says we should…” The author goes on to explain that to a non-believer the Bible can be very confusing because how do you choose what you follow and what you don’t. For example – the Old Testament speaks rule after rule after rule. The New Testament is Jesus version or man’s version after the life of Jesus…He states that saying something like “the Bible says..” can and will turn people away because it’s overwhelming or places our authority in the words of man. We should do what we do because of Jesus. He goes on to explain that we aren’t adequately taught about covenant and the differences between Old covenant and New covenant and to say the Bible says lumps them both into the same category…and that can get real confusing. While I agree with this in part…I’m a “Yes…..and”. My radar is up.
Yes – we should do what we do because of Jesus. AND…..
yes to different covenants apply to different groups of people for a specific time – AND….
Are you tracking with me? What comes after the “and”? Most of those moments where words from a conversation won’t let me go, thoughts from a book get stuck on auto play…are because I don’t know how to express what comes after the AND. I don’t feel prepared to defend my AND. So my brain won’t rest, it won’t shut off, it won’t be at peace.
AND that is where the armor of God comes into play. “Put on the peace that comes from the Good News (God’s Word aka the Bible) so that you will be prepared.”
When I can’t turn off the tape, I go to the Word. I put the Word on it! My answers come from God’s Word. My peace comes from knowing God’s Word and putting God’s Word on auto play in my head – to drown out the confusion, to bring clarity to the chaos, to bring resolution to the question.
God’s Word is an internal weapon to prepare our minds, to ready our words, to arm us with protection from doubt, from confusion, from fear, from frustration.
I don’t ever want to live in a world where I can’t say “the Bible says” as my guiding principle for what to believe, how to live, and how to love.
I don’t ever want to live in a world where there is no absolute authority over what is right and what is wrong.
I don’t ever want to live in a world where the foundation of our faith is up for grabs.
All of that does not bring peace to my soul. All of that feed’s confusion and breeds anxiety and fear.
I’m so thankful for the armor of God, for the Word of God to bring stability, security, direction and a firmness to my resolve.
My peace, my readiness to answer the questions comes from knowing the Word and having it hidden in my heart and in my mind.
I love how the message translation doesn’t separate out the pieces of the armor the way other translations do – the message just says we need them all – not just one – all, if we will have a chance at standing.
On a different note: That’s my answer to the questions the book brings up as well – we don’t live in one covenant or the other. Jesus fulfilled the LAW of the OT so we aren’t under the practices of it as followers of Jesus – but the promises of it remain. We live under both – we need it all. We pattern our practices after the teachings of Jesus (New Covenant) AND we live our lives under the promises of both covenants (Old and New).
God’s Word, it is our source of peace, our armor for a world that is positioned in chaos. I don’t know about you, but I need it, I crave it, I cling to it. I’m not walking through my day without putting my shoes on!
Robin Smith has a passion for equipping people to see their strengths and to lead with their unique God given gifts. Robin has always had a strong tie to her church, community and work. That tie is in the form of relationships. Her greatest joy is to do life together, encouraging, strengthening and challenging each other to be their very best and reach their full potential. Robin has been the Program Director for Refuge for Women since February 2017. She has overseen all the operations of our safe house and spent her days inside the home building relationships with the residents and helping them not only see their potential, but overcome the obstacles standing in the way of them reaching their potential. For15 years, prior to coming to Refuge for Women, Robin worked in higher education, focusing on developing student leaders and equipping students with the skills they need to be successful in the pursuit of their education and careers. Prior to that, Robin was a Salvation Army officer and served in full time ministry in various locations throughout the Midwest. Robin’s focus was always serving, equipping and developing others. In 2006, the Lord began to work in Robin’s heart and plant a love for women who are trapped in the sex-industry. This passion was formed through Robin’s involvement with student mission trips to Las Vegas. In 2010, Robin began the Hearts for Jackson ministry in Jackson, Michigan reaching out to women who work in strip clubs. Robin’s heart was broken for these women and she started this ministry to bring them hope and love with a goal of showing the love of Jesus in a practical way. Each month, Robin led a group of women from her church into the strip clubs where they simply loved on the women. They brought them gifts, told them they were special & loved and offered a listening ear. Robin brings her heart and passion to Refuge for Women and is excited to be stepping into this new role of City Director where she will be partnering with the local churches, Las Vegas community, and most importantly, Jesus, in this crucial ministry. Robin and her husband Homer have been married for 33 years and currently reside in Henderson, NV. They attend the ChurchLV and they enjoy God’s creation by hiking, walking, or simply enjoying the sun with a good book. They have two children and three grandchildren. Robin holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management from Spring Arbor University in Spring Arbor, Michigan and a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Development, also from Spring Arbor University.