Old Worn-Out Shoes

---

---

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.  The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

It didn’t happen often, but from time to time, my Grandparents would bring a bag or two of hand-me -down clothes from an older cousin.  Occasionally, a pair of shoes or a small purse would be in the bottom of the bag.  I especially loved the black patent leather Mary Janes I found shoved in among the dresses and various other clothes.  The shoes were tight on me, but I was determined to wear them.  They were so shiny and pretty.  I limped around the house in those shoes for several days.  I learned pretty quickly that limping wasn’t a whole lot of fun! 

There were two problems with those shiny black Mary Janes.  The first problem was that they pinched my toes since my feet were bigger than the shoes.  But the most annoying issue was that they were already worn in by my cousin, who didn’t walk the way I walked.  The heels were slightly worn down to the side because of her gate.  Unfortunately, I needed them worn down on the other side.  I always felt wobbly, trying desperately to compensate for the tilt of the old worn-out shoes.

I think this is how we act as Christians sometimes.  We are new creations in Christ Jesus- we are brand new, yet we continually limp around like we are wearing an old pair of too-tight worn-down shoes.  We spend our days wondering why we are down, discouraged, or defeated; why we don’t measure up to the standard, we think we should.  We compare ourselves to others and wonder if God somehow forgot to change us when we came to know him as Savior and Lord.  And still, out of habit, we wake up daily and pull on the same old, too-tight worn-out shoes.  We don’t believe the truth that we are brand new because of our new position in Christ. 

The Bible, however, tells us a completely different narrative, one we must begin to see and believe as truth.  In 2 Corinthians 5:17, we read, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.  The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” Vines Commentary says the Greek word, new, denotes that which is unaccustomed or unused.  

My sad situation changed when I traded the old-worn-out, ill-fitting shoes for the new ones my parents bought for me.  Unlike the too-tight worn-out shoes accustomed to my cousin’s feet, brand-new, well-fitting shoes were ready for me to wear.  I tossed the old shoes aside and gladly wore the new ones.  I hardly recognized I had shoes on because they fit so well, and they were molded and accustomed to my feet, not my cousins. 

My walk became more robust, and my endurance became stronger.  It is the same way for us as believers.  We can find relief when we recognize and put on our new life in Christ and lean on him alone.  Believing the truth in God’s word is the first step to becoming that brand new creation God says that you are.  Action follows belief.  When we trust God’s word as truth, we will no longer limp uncomfortably, but we will learn to walk in a brand new, well-fitting way.

---

Hey Friend- if you are looking for more devotional material why not give my YOUVERSION 11 day devotional a try. https://my.bible.com/reading-plans/20868-pack-your-baggage-honey/day/1