FEET SHOD - GOSPEL PREPAREDNESS

EPHESIANS 6:15
   "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace."

Many keywords we could identify in this verse namely;

"Feet shod" - This is done usually using a shoe or latchet as it was often called in biblical times.

"Preparation" - This is showing a form of readiness to do something.

"Gospel of peace" - The gospel of salvation, the gospel of our Lord JESUS CHRIST.

Without further ado, I want to believe that its basic knowledge to know that anyone who puts on a shoe is preparing for an event. You don't just put on a shoe in the aim of doing nothing.

We either wear shoes in an aim to get ready to go out, some wear shoes when taking on some work tasks/ assignments (e.g. Safety boots), others wear shoes to thread on wet surfaces (e.g. Bathroom Slippers) and before you are quick to say what of people who go window shopping and try on shoes, are they also preparing for any event, my answer would be YES and their event been to check out how well the shoe fits and perhaps fantasize about laying their hands on it.

To a soldier, as we are for Christ, what are the benefits of putting on our shoes especially at the emergence of a battle?

I believe the fear of his feet been hurt as he threads his path through the bushes is one quickly forgotten fright just because of these shoes; he is also permitted to walk through mud or stony grounds effectively and in stealth if necessary.

If the soldier man decides to go to the battle bare footed, if he doesn't get noticed early enough to be slaughtered by the enemy because of his sluggishness, then his probable injury/ death would come through him stepping upon some dangerous objects.

All in all, it is totally unwise for a soldier to go into a battle bare-footed.

Now the gospel of peace we have earlier identified as the gospel of truth, the whole truth about the work of salvation done for the whole of mankind by our Lord JESUS CHRIST.

As soldiers in the army of the Lord, people who are ready to see the course of our Lord through to the end, as we adorn ourselves the various items of the whole armor of GOD needed to withstand in the evil day, it is utterly imperative that we also add to our armor a full readiness to minister the word of life to those around us.

Beyond the pragmatic approach of ministering (i.e. let my lifestyle be enough to teach them Christ), we still need seriously to speak verbally about the love of CHRIST to the whole world as this is the ONLY thing that saves (Rom. 1:16, 1Cor. 1:21).

Permit me to narrate a story I once heard to you of a Christian man who wanted to show the love of Christ to an unbelieving poor and needy man.

So he decided to set him up in a little business just so that he could be able to make ends meet and fend for himself and all that are his. The Christian man did this and he quickly became good friends with the poor man all because of this gesture.

On a fateful day, a war/ riot broke out amongst ethnic groups and both men were on either side of the division. As this Christian man sat, he looked up to see his poor friend approaching with a mob, at this he still felt quite comfortable and didn't see any threat or even think of protecting himself because at least that was his friend leading the mob, so for sure nothing really could go wrong.

To this Christian man's utter surprise, his poor unbelieving friend lifted up a matchet and struck him down severally. Funny enough, they searched this Christian man after the massacre and found that he had with him a loaded pistol but simply because he didn't feel/ identify any threat from the mob led by his friend, he found no reason to either draw his gun or use it.

This Christian man was for sure trying to do right by helping out the poor needy man (which I must say is very important and encouraged) BUT he made an error in his attempt to show off the love of Christ because he didn't speak the good news to his unbelieving friend.

Truly nothing replaces the truth of the gospel, as good and as required as our good works towards men are, the best we should aim at doing is to always be ready to speak about the finished work of CHRIST for them as this alone truly saves them.

Quick question we need to answer as we go on about our business this week; how tightly worn are your shoes in preparedness to tell the gospel of peace?

GOD BLESS YOU