One of the first things we all do when getting dressed is put on our shoes. We all wear shoes, why? Most of us wear them to protect are feet from injury. Athletes wear shoes specific to their sport to protect their feet. As a diabetic, one of the most important parts of maintenance is to examine our feet on a daily basis. I was scolded by my doctor at a routine doctor appointment for wearing flip flops. It was Summer and I hate wearing shoes, period! She told me that I need to wear supportive shoes and socks.
In the same way that we need to wear shoes to protect our feet from injury, we also need to shoe our feet with the gospel of peace. We do this in two ways:
1. We must walk IN peace
2. We must walk OUT peace
Philippians 4:7
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
As long as we remain in Christ Jesus, we will experience the peace of God. Walking in peace means that no matter what chaos the enemy throws at us, we know that greater is He that is in us, than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). God is in control. We can live our lives without worrying about what might happen, because we know that the God that created the universe is in control of everything that happens in HIS creation. Nothing escapes His notice. We can walk in peace, knowing that Satan has already been conquered.
Romans 14:17-19
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
Another way we can shoe our feet with the gospel of peace is to walk out peace in the world. One of our main objectives on this earth is to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Jesus walked in peace. Jesus brought peace to those He ministered to and we need to do the same. When people walk away from us, they should walk away with a sense of peace, not chaos, anger, or fear. We are to be experts in conflict resolution, finding a way to bring a resolution to an issue, not adding fuel to the fire. When we look at a situation the way Jesus would, we are more willing to let go of selfishness, anger, hatred, bitterness, greed, etc. We become willing to look at a situation from someone else’s perspective, instead of just our own.
I encourage you to remember to, shoe your feet with the gospel of peace, every morning as you get ready for the day. Walk IN peace, knowing that God is in control and walk OUT peace in your sphere of influence, bringing peace where there may otherwise be chaos.
Patti Burris 