Walk In Your Own Shoes
“I wish I could be a Sunday School teacher,” says the woman who is struggling in her marriage and is tired of being the one taught at church. “I wish I could have a ministry to teen girls,” says the mother of two rebellious teenage children. “I wish I could go back to school full-time,” says the stay-at-home mom with three kids under four years old. “I wish I could be married,” says the lonely single woman. “I wish I could be single again,” says the frustrated married one.
All around us are people missing the opportunity to walk in their own shoes.
The lady that longs to teach wants to wear those pretty high heeled ones that she thinks everyone will notice and admire, rather than the simple quiet flats that she has been given to wear right now. The mother of the rebellious teenagers has been given heavy boots to wear right now, but she would rather be in funky casual ones. And so many singles want to wear the house slippers and so many married would rather be in the fashionable strappy ones.
The message that I believe God has for all of these women today?
[clickToTweet tweet="Walk In Your Own Shoes and be content in what you have been given to do today." quote="Walk In Your Own Shoes and be content in what you have been given to do today."]
But godliness with contentment is great gain - I Timothy 6:6 (NIV)
Be content in what God has for you to do right now.
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. - Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV)
Walk in your own shoes. Be content to do what God has given you right now to do. There are so many women (and men) living around us that are missing the best part of their lives because they spend so much time wishing they were doing something else. I've been there myself.
Do you want more opportunity in the days ahead? Then do a good job walking in the shoes that you have been given to wear right now.
Walk in your own shoes. If God has made you a wife, be the best wife you can be. If God has made you a mother, be the best mother you can be. If God has given you a home, be the best homemaker you can be. If God has allowed you to stay single, be the most honorable single you can be. And if God has given you a work outside of the home or a ministry inside or outside of the church, make it your goal to do a good job with these things too.
Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. - Luke 16:10 (NIV)
This verse reminds us that the secret to being given greater influence and opportunity is to make sure we are doing a faithful job with the limited amount that we have been given to tend to right now.
Walk in your own shoes. Train your feet to feel comfortable in them.
Use them to take you where you need to go and do what you need to do.
Resist the temptation to go out and get a different pair.
Be content to wear them until they are all worn out. And then be patient and allow God to be the one to replace them.
Are you content in your pair of shoes?
Is God getting ready to give you a new pair?
*Original post written March 7, 2011 and updated
Recorded March 9, 2011
