Evangelism can be intimidating, discouraging, and even hated at times—but the love of Christ compels us to keep sharing the truth with others.
January 3, 2024
One of the strangest verses in the Bible refers to feet as being “beautiful.” It’s strange because feet aren’t even slightly beautiful. They’re ugly—particularly the smallest of our toes. They look like reject jellybeans. But look at Scripture:
How beautiful upon the mountains
Are the feet of him who brings good news. (Isaiah 52:7)
Our ugly feet are beautiful if we proclaim the good news of the gospel. Notice the words “upon the mountains.” There is no higher calling than to reach out to the lost. Surgeons may save lives, and presidents may govern countries, but we who proclaim the good news of the gospel show dying sinners how they can live forever.
Let me tell you a secret. I dislike committee meetings. They are a necessary evil, but if you study the word “committee,” you will find that much of it is a waste of time. There are two m’s, two t’s, and two e’s. A committee must have designed the word.
“Surgeons may save lives, and presidents may govern countries, but we who proclaim the good news of the gospel show dying sinners how they can live forever.”
When I first came to the United States back in 1989, the church that kindly hosted me asked that I attend weekly staff meetings. I’ll never forget one incident. After we had met for what seemed like an eternity, the pastor wrapped it up by saying, “So, is that everything? Are we done? No one has anything else?” There was a long silence—in which I was secretly praying, “Please, Lord, let it be the end.” Then somebody said, “What about the green door. Do we paint it another color?” And that started another discussion that went on for another eternity.
One day, the pastor casually said to me, “You don’t need to attend the staff meetings if you don’t want to.” I grabbed on to those words like a drowning man grabs on to a lifesaver. I never attended another meeting—ever. And that meant I could completely devote my time to reaching out to the lost.
“We must prioritize our time so that we have time to seek the lost.”
My point is to say that we need to do all we can to keep our feet beautiful. We must prioritize our time so that we have time to seek the lost. There are many green doors that can busy us into doing things that really don’t matter in the light of eternity.
When the prodigal son returned to his father, the father told his servants to bring a robe, a ring, and sandals for his feet (Luke 15:22). When we are born again, God gives us a robe of righteousness, a ring of inheritance, and special gospel shoes. These “shoes” are an attitude—a resolute conviction—that makes sure reaching the lost has a high priority. These shoes are an essential part of our armor as soldiers of Christ:
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. (Ephesians 6:14-15, emphasis added)
The gospel shoes we wear are a prepared attitude. We are a trained army. We discipline ourselves to set aside our fears and always be ready to proclaim the gospel:
Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear. (1 Peter 3:15)
So, set your face as a flint toward Jerusalem. Carve out your priorities. Keep your feet beautiful. Never let anything crowd out what you know you should be doing. Nothing else matters in the light of eternity.