"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."
Ephesians 5:1-2 NASB1995
As a kid, I remember trying on, and walking around in my Dad’s loafer shoes (I think there might even be an old picture of it somewhere). Easy to put on (and fall out of). My kids have done the same with our shoes. I guess that’s likely been around since the dawn of shoes. Why do you think that is? Once they see us adults bust out in laughter I’m sure they want to do it for the laughs, but why do you think they initially want to “walk in our shoes”? The hope of taking on our size or strength, etc.? Or maybe to be like us? To imitate us? Because they admire us? Because they love us?
We have different shoes for different occasions. We have sneakers for everyday activities but in America, we also have “running shoes” and “walking shoes” we have “dress shoes” and maybe sports shoes like “basketball shoes” or “soccer cleats (shoes)”. Sometimes our shoes are simply for communication (ie - dress shoes), but many of those shoes listed above we put on because they enable us to better perform the task at hand.
“Love” is the shoe we walk in, in the Lord, that enables us to fulfill our calling of walking in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:1; Philippians 1:27). We cannot fulfill the summation command (Ephesians 5:1) of, “Therefore, be imitators of God…”, without love. It’s impossible because God is love. If we have any hope of imitating Him we too, “as beloved children” must try to “walk in His shoes.” It’ll be awkward sometimes, and we will stumble and fall out of them sometimes, but if we love God and admire Him, we will keep wanting to “walk in love”.
So every day, when you are putting on shoes, I hope you remember to “walk in love”. As Christians, “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (I John 4:16) Abide in Love, walk in love, abide in God.
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