Wednesday, June 11, 2008

High Heels and Flip Flops!

I love shoes. I mean, what girl doesn't love shoes? I have all sorts of shoes to choose from.

Sassy red high heels when I'm feelin, uh, sassy.
Good ol' flip flops for the everyday running around.
I have my new Merrells that ROCK!
Black heels that look great with ratty jeans.
Black high heeled sandals that look fantastic with a cute skirt, or my ratty jeans.
Knee high black boots that say "I'm a force to be reckoned with!" (in my ratty jeans)
Green flip flops.
Black flip flops.
White flip flops with a tiny heel. (Good for a few hours only)
Adidas running shoes.
Mule shoes.
And slippers.

That pretty much covers most of my shoes.

The problem comes when I have to decide which ones to take with me on a vacation. That has got to be the most difficult part of packing! Either I take a pair for each outfit, or I take outfits that will go with one particular, maybe two, pairs of shoes. I usually opt for picking outfits that go with the shoes? Anyone?

My husband find my shoes to be a bit of a peeve. I can literally "walk" out of them. In stride. And leave them right there on the floor. Never mind the closet is but 3.6 feet away, I will just step right out and leave them there. It's easier that way. When I need them, I can just step right back into the flow of things.

Right now you're probably wondering where this bag of shoes is going. Let me give you a clue.

I walk in them everyday. I need them. There a habit of the human to have shoes. I can step out of them, but I'll find myself slipping right back into their comfort and ease because I leave them right where I can find them. Sure, I can change them. I'll toss my ugly ones in the closet and put on my stiletto's for you. You'd never know that the ones in my closet are the ones I can't live without. And when I get home, I kick off the "fake" me shoes and slip right back into my

habitual sin.

Ugh! Gerr! Curses!

The bag of habitual sin might only have one pair for you. Maybe two. Hopefully, you aren't walking in habitual sin right now, but if you are, it's time to look it square in the face and give it a swift kick with your feet that are sporting the gospel of peace! WHOOP! WHOOP! (Ephesians 6)

Habitual sin is something that keeps you chained to a life of bondage. Can you look at your life (or someone you love) and see anything that holds you captive.

Are you angry all the time?
Do you find yourself wishing you were with someone else?
Do you overeat or under-eat?
Do you fear and fret and worry? (that's a different bag, Oh, I gave you a sneak peek)
Are you bitter?
Do you hold any unforgiveness?

Is there anything, anything that you might be walking in that does not fall in line with the Word of God? Are you wearing any shoes of sin that need to come off. And, not in stride either. No, we want them off our feet and out of our lives!

"...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us!" Hebrews 12:1

Throw those stupid sin shoes off! I know that can be hard, but it must be done. Set up boundaries. Talk with someone. Get accountability. And then RUN! Run the race! Get on the shoes of Christ that pull tight around your heart, soul, and mind. Bind His Word around your heart and mind and do not fall for the lies of the enemy again!

Habitual sin has no place in the life of a follower of Christ!

Do you have anything you need to kick off?



Seriously, if you need me to pray for you, please contact me!

5 comments:

Theresa said...

I hold the sin of not being good enough. It cripples my thought process at times. It is so the enemy talking to me not God. And to be honest it is the oldest and ugliest pair of shoes I own. I have been working on getting them in the trash. So far I got the left one gone and am still working to let go of the right one.

On a lighter note, Craig calls the place where I step out of my shoes "The Landing Strip" or "The Parking Lot" depends on how many pairs of sandals are lined up. :)

Anonymous said...

wow... i felt like you wrote this just for me today. thanks!

(I'm so a shoe junkie lol)

Sheryl said...

I was trapped in habitual sin for many years. It took me a long time though to realize what the real sin was. You see, first I thought it was unforgiveness, then bitterness, then worry, then addictions. However, those were outward manifestations of the underlying sin. Which was that I did not believe, really believe, that God loved me. Whew, when I confessed that as sin, slowly God began to disentangle me from all those outward sins. He is good!

deleise said...

So good, Natalie.

lori said...

UGH! I had a brilliant comment and POOF! hate that...so I begin again!

My closet isn't big enough to hold all the shoes...so they live in a HUGE toy box in the garage..all neat and tidy on the outside...
TILL you open the darn thing! TRY finding matching flip flops in a hurry...I dare ya!!
The word "entangle" in Hebrews 12:1 never hit me quite like it did today....
I spend so much time untangling shoes...just like I spend time in the same sin habits...hmmmmmm....ouch!

Thankfully, I have come a long way in the habitual sin department...it was in the realization it was a CHOICE, much like the CHOICE in WHAT to pack....that I became free.

So, again tonight you speak to me sister! You speak words that I need to hear! You are amazing how you wrote this study JUST FOR ME! I owe you one for this!!
or a whole box o' waxy brown circles!;)

This is getting better every day!