Shine Your Shoes
You’ll have to go back a few decades, but some of you will remember the Griffin Shoe Polish jingle:
“Shine your shoes and you’ll wear a smile,
Shine your shoes and you’ll be in style.
Sun shines east, sun shines west,
And Griffin Polish shines the best!
Some folks ain’t particular
‘Bout the way they look about their feet.
But if they wore shoes upon their head,
You can bet they’d look so neat!
So shine your shoes and you’ll wear a smile
Shine your shoes and you’ll be in style.
Sun shines east, sun shines west,
And Griffin Polish shines the best!
I knew a man who every morning before he left for work, and especially every Lord’s Day morning before he left for services, would take out the bottle of Griffin’s Shoe Polish and shine his shoes. His reason was simple: “Most folks look down before they look you in the face. Put your best foot forward,” he said, “and they’ll have a good opinion of you and your conversation will move upward!” Well, not sure that always worked for him, but he sure didn’t like dirty shoes!
Did you ever consider how often our “feet” are mentioned in Scripture; and not “bare feet” but feet with shoes on? John the baptizer said of Jesus that he (John) was not worthy to either bear or loose the Lord’s shoes (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:7). I wonder how preserved our Lord’s shoes were. Then there’s the parable of the prodigal son. When he returned home, the father told them to put shoes on his feet. (Luke 15:22) I wonder if they would have been polished? Even Moses was told to put off his shoes, for he stood on holy ground. Were his shoes polished? (Acts 7:33)
To a more serious concern, consider our spiritual feet must be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. (Ephesians 6:15) The word “preparation” means “preparedness”. We must prepare hearts to receive the gospel of Christ, and once prepared, present it to them in such a fashion that permits their understanding and acceptance of this truth that prompts their hearts to obey this truth! As Paul also quoted from Isaiah 52:7 when he wrote, “How will they preach except they be sent? Just as it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news of good things!” (Romans 10:15) The KJV renders the quotation, “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things!” The point is the gospel covers the feet of those preaching this saving truth (Romans 1:16 – 17) and is a part of our armor (Ephesians 6:10 – 17). As the old schoolteacher and gospel preacher observed, the world isn’t likely to look, us in the face first. They prefer looking down. If they do this spiritually, guess what they see? THE GOSPEL! If our “shoes” aren’t shined, will they be impressed? How must greater the impression if the gospel is bright shining, clean and pure, its appearance beautifying our feet as we stand prepared to present God’s Word?
There was another preacher years ago, who was reportedly very powerful in his preaching. But what most seem to remember about him was his shoes. He worked hard for whoever hosted him through gospel meetings. (During the depression years, farm work needed all the help it could get, and this preacher wasn’t backward about helping his hosts.) But he had but one pair of shoes … and he never cleaned them! While I’m sure some remember his preaching, it is interesting few have forgotten about his shoes!
Presenting the gospel to others is something every Christian does in one form or another. While we recognize the role of the preacher, we must not forget every Christian must “let your light shine.” It is the gospel that we speak, and it is the gospel that must dwell in us richly in all wisdom, thus conducting our lives in righteousness before our Father. Our appearance does matter: we must “put our best foot forward” in all we say and do (Colossians 3:17). Therefore, we need to take the time to “polish or shoes.” That’s what folks will see first, and determined from that “first impression,” begin to look “upward,” taking note of our shield of faith and our sword of the spirit. They will note our loins clothed with truth, our breastplate of righteous and finally our helmet of salvation. But it starts with the gospel of peace! It needs to grab their attention before the additional attire of the soldier of Christ is appreciated.
So, shine your shoes, and you’ll wear a smile. Shine your shoes and you’ll please Christ. Sun shines east, sun shines west, but God’s gospel must shine the best! (O.K. – so it doesn’t rhyme. You get the point.) Go shine your shoes!!!
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Isn’t it marvelous that God only gives us one day at a time? For many of us, getting the responsibilities of that one day completed are often more than we can handle. Guess that’s why the most important thing of every day is renewing ourselves in Him! (2 Corinthians 4:16)