"Let your SHOES shine before men!"

 

I have a lot of great memories from my childhood; traveling around the country with my parents, meeting new people, discovering new places.  Over the years there have been several images that stick out in my mind, places I've been, things I observed my parents doing, and people I've met along the way.

One of the things I remember being fascinated by was the strange wooden box that was in my dad's closet.  For years I had no idea what it was, but I had fun trying to put my foot on the top and stand without falling.  Eventually I opened it up and found all sort of strange cans and brushes and discovered that it was a shoe shining kit.  I can remember sitting in the living room watching my dad sitting on his knees with his Salvation Army uniform shoes out, and all of the various items spread meticulously across the floor as he shined his shoes.

I never would have imagined as a child that one day, I'd find myself possessing a similar kit for polishing my own pair of "Salvation Army Shoes."  I even have a power buffer, because I love gadgets and tech toys!

I was thinking this morning as I was getting ready about the process of shining shoes.  The following familiar verse came to my mind:

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Matthew 5:16

There's just something about a well shined pair of black shoes.  Whether it's a labor intensive spit shine or a patent leather parade quality shine, people notice a well shined pair of shoes.

You see, there have been times when my shoes have not had much shine to them.

There have been times when others have noticed the lack of shine on my shoes and have mentioned it to me.

What happened in our lives and hearts is very similar to what happens when we allow our shoes to lose their luster.  When you get so busy in your day to day activity, hard at work, constantly on the grind.  We can give all sorts of excuses to justify the lack of shine due to our busy schedules, lack of time etc.

In the same way, it is so easy for Christians to allow the shine that comes from Christ living in us to lose it's luster.  We can get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, even our ministry, that we lose that shine that people can spot from a mile away.

Jesus commands us to let our light's shine before men...

If we are not constantly On our knees...in the same way we are when we polish our shoes, polishing our hearts and minds with the Word of God, through prayer and scripture, then we will not be able to shine the way the Lord commands us.

Take a look at your shoes...
Take a look at your hearts...

What kind of shine do they have?