Do you wear the shoes of peace or do you wear combat boots?

Sometimes, I find myself igniting conversation only for the personal sake of proving my point. Righteous or justice driven it doesn’t matter, I want my point to be made and my voice to be heard. I believe my words will be more powerful than my silence. But somehow, that never turns out to be the case.

Why isn’t my point heard? That is what I want to know.

Scripture illustrates to us that words have power and when we wear our combat boots, we are wearing the wrong pair of shoes.
In the book of Ephesians the apostle Paul gives us a list of everything we should wear to bring peace to a broken world. This is called, the armor of God.

Paul wrote, “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:11-12 NLT).

Specifically, Paul says to put on the shoes of peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared to fight (Ephesians 6:15 NLT).

My shoes of combat are characterized by my desire to explain, justify or teach my beliefs. Complain, defend or excuse myself. None of these attributes bring people into unity and relationship with a desire to know Jesus because none are of His character.
If I wear the shoes of peace, my shoes have the ability to heal and to encourage. To show love and respect for people around me, affirming that they are a masterpiece of God and on their own personal journey.

Consider these questions:

1. What is your motivation for wearing combat boots?

2. Does your desire to be heard over-ride your ability to have a home of peace?

3. What are you missing in your home, or life, or your marriage that makes you feel the need to be heard?

4. The battle rages in the mind (Colossians 3:2, Romans 12:2). What are you doing to protect your mind from the negative thoughts that are leading you to wearing your combat boots?

5. Decide today to be a woman who wears shoes of peace. Do you have someone you can be accountable to?