Shoes That Kick Sin Away

Ephesians 3:16-21

Verse 20  Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,

    Before finishing our time talking about the battle footwear we need to talk about one of the most important things to remember about putting on these shoes.  We need to remember it is the footwear of the Gospel of peace.  While we mentioned various aspects of peace this one is of utmost importance and sadly one of the most overlooked.

    One of the most ignored sins of Christians has to do with worry.  We have all sorts of names and excuses for our worry but the truth is, worry is a sin we too often allow in our lives.  Sometimes we try making it sound like we are merely concerned about a situation but the amount of time it spends on our thoughts and lips can tell a different story.

    We may think it is OK to be overly concerned about someone or some situation but have we ever thought about what that says about our faith in God?  Worry comes from a place which lacks trust in the abilities of the Almighty God we say we worship.  It makes it seem like He is either failing us in one way or another or that He isn’t big enough to actually help us in times of uncertainty.

    Worry can also tend to place the object of concern in a place of worship as we give so much time and energy into it.  Worry robs us of the peace which is ours in Christ.  Jesus told His followers their peace wouldn’t come as freedom from stress and concerns but in spite of them (John 16:33).  In the world we will have trials but we are not to lose our peace from the Gospel in the process of dealing with them.

    True peace comes from having peace with God Himself.  Peace isn’t just getting along with Him but putting Him in the driver’s seat of our lives.  To maintain peace with the Father requires staying in right standing with Him.  Imagine the testimony of the Gospel in our lives if we became people known for our lack of worry and an obvious peace with God.

Making It Personal

    What level of peace do you have with God?  Is it just an inner peace or is it evident to those around you?  What do you need to stop worrying about?

Making It Personal Kids

    What does worry look like?  Do have things you worry about?  Why would being in a great relationship with God help you not worry?

Closing Prayer

    Father, thank You for this reminder of our need to find our peace in You.  Teach us not to worry and convict us when we do.  In Jesus’ name, amen.