The 5 Shoes: Steel Toe Boots

Steel toe boots are probably not the shoe you expect me to say you need on this journey. They are heavy and cumbersome. Not what you would want to walk in for any distance. However, they are vital on this journey.

These shoes come in many styles, yet they all have key components. Steel toe boots have extremely tough soles so nothing can puncture them from under foot. The toe has a reinforcement to protect from falling objects or compression. Some even offer protection from electrical shock or chemical hazards. They are designed to keep the wearer going and safe when something unexpected happens on the job. Even after being battered these shoes hold up and keep going.

Being a Christian does not exempt us from bad things happening in our lives. In fact, you can be certain bad things will come. Jesus himself said, “In this world you will have trouble. . .”  John 16:33. This is because we live in a fallen world. Since Adam and Eve took the first bite of that apple, sin has been here and will remain until Jesus returns. No one is immune to heartache and trials.

David was called a man after God’s own heat, yet lots of bad stuff happened to him. Some of these heartaches were the result of his own sins. Some of them were the result of other people’s sin. It didn’t matter whose fault they were, they still came and they still hurt.

The Lord said of Job, “There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” Job 1:8. Satan took absolutely everything from him. He tried to break him and cause Job to turn away from God.

The Bible is full of godly men and women that had terrible things happen to them. Not because they didn’t love Jesus, they didn’t try hard enough, or they weren’t really Christians. It was because they were. It was because they lived in this world too. If they were not immune we should not except to be either.

All of these people became better and stronger because of the way they walked through these bad things. Look at Job. He put on his steel toe boots and kept his eye on God. He took the hits and compression, but kept going! In the end God restored all Job had lost and provided even more!

James also reminds us of the importance of wearing our steel toe boots. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4  He doesn’t say IF you face trails of many kinds. He says, “When you do!”

Then James tells us to consider it joy when these hard times hit. That’s crazy right?! Not really. Counting it joy doesn’t mean we have to be happy about it. It doesn’t mean we can’t cry or anything else. It simply means we shouldn’t doubt God in it. It means we can have joy, because we have hope in something greater to come! It means we must persevere in faith so that we may be made mature and complete. All because we know God has already won the war!

You may be in need of putting on your steel toe boots now, in order to keep going. If so, get them on and stand confident and brave! If not, you better have them packed for the journey and ready at a moment’s notice. You may not need them at this moment, but you will need them at some point.