The Soles of Peace
Putting on the Right Shoes
Recently, I have been thinking a lot about the "shoes of peace" (Ephesians 6:15).
Not long ago, I was sitting on one of my usual benches when I noticed a pair of sandals left behind. They were sitting face up, completely separated from their owner. It made me reflect on how we wear them. To actually use sandals, they have to face the right direction. There is a deliberate design to them: one side is engineered to be hard to traverse the rugged terrain of the world, while the other side, the side facing upward, is soft, cushioned, and presenting itself above.
What Flows From the Heart
Peace is what naturally flows from a healthy heart. When peace is absent, other things rush in to fill the void: anxiety shows its face, fears take over, and unrighteous anger flares up. Proverbs 4:23 instructs us to guard our hearts above all else, because everything we do flows directly from it.
Jesus paid the price for perfect peace by actually becoming that Peace for us (Isaiah 53:5).
He acts as the sole of our shoes. He is the base that absorbs the pain and endures the terrible places we have walked. He protects our feet from the areas full of dog poop, the sharp glass left behind by the negligence of others, the unfamiliar territories, and the rocky ground.
Dancing on the Rocks
Growing up, we had a loose gravel driveway. The rocks were incredibly sharp against the soles of my bare feet. I vividly remember walking out to get the mail in the scorching Texas summer heat, dancing on my tiptoes quickly all the way to the mailbox to lessen the burning, sharp stones.
Over time, my feet became calloused to that heat and pain. I grew accustomed to that environment. That didn't mean the ground became comfortable; rather, it was a process of conditioning, a lesson I learned to see in ministry when I come across those going through hard, uncomfortable, or chaotic situations.
When you are forged in environments that are unfamiliar or hostile to others, it removes the fear. Why? Because you have already danced through the pain.
Sleeping Through the Storm
But just because one dances through trials doesn’t mean perfect peace is obtained and fear is fully eliminated.
We see this true peace from fear in the life of Jesus. When a violent storm hit the sea, Jesus did not have fear. In fact, He slept peacefully right through it. Meanwhile, Peter and the other disciples who actually possessed the sea legs to weather the storm still did not have the faith that they would reach the other side. Their human wisdom and professional knowledge told them they wouldn’t. True peace was not obtained, even with the disciples' experience, until Jesus came into play.
Jesus woke up and asked them, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then He got up, rebuked the winds and the waves, and everything became completely calm (Matthew 8:26).
The disciples did not trust in the One who was right there with them, the One who already knew they would safely reach their destination. It is those who have been through storms who know how to deal with storms. Just like a foot calloused by the Texas heat, a faith forged in the fire loses its fear, but only in the presence of true peace. Those who have gone through the sharpest storms with Jesus know, without a doubt, that they will safely reach the other side.
The River and Wisdom
Even with a faith forged in past trials, I have found my own peace disturbed recently. It feels like a journey down a river, with some sections perfectly calm and others concerning.
Wisdom is what flags these troubled waters for us, issuing warnings about the turbulent areas ahead. While peace and faith are the engines that get us safely through the rapids, wisdom serves a different purpose: sometimes, it allows us to see the coming waterfall ahead of time so we can address it. True peace does not mean blindly floating into danger; it means addressing the danger with the authority of Jesus using the eyes of true wisdom to navigate the river safely and having faith that we will get to the other end.
Facing Upward
Even with the soles now firmly on my feet, I still deeply relate to those who are currently dancing their way to the mailbox.
But sometimes, the entire Christian walk is simply about putting the shoes on correctly, ensuring they face upward. When we do, His righteousness becomes our presentation to heaven, and His life becomes our impact on the world. Whether you are in a storm, navigating a choppy river, or walking through a season of sharp, unfamiliar terrain, you can step down with confidence. The Sole of our faith has already absorbed the pain.