When I was a little boy, I remember getting my first pair of new leather shoes. My dad told me that it would take a while to break them in, but once I did, they would fit great.

That day in church, people said, "Why don't you just get rid of them?" I knew the pain was temporary, and that afterward, they would be a fine pair of shoes that I would enjoy.

Life is a lot like that. New things can be hard. We must press on until it gets easier. Paul, one of the apostles, reminds us, And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. (Galatians 6:9-10 NKJV) We can miss out on wonderful new things if we quit just because there is difficulty at first.

We must stick it out to the end.

When I first started using a computer, I was so frustrated. That computer made me so angry. Many times I almost gave up and decided to never try again. I got some tutoring, pressed on, and now the computer makes my work and ministry so much easier that I can't imagine being without it.

Sometimes we step out in to a new job, a new school, a new church, or a new ministry. This new step involves things we aren't used to doing and people with whom we aren't used to working. If it is difficult at first, we may be tempted to quit. Hopefully, however, we won't!

Following God's will is not always easy. New things can try and test us. But we know deep inside that we must stick it out to the end and we will find God's blessings.

I'm not sure if the leather shoes adjusted to me, or I adjusted to the shoes, or both. My new leather shoes hurt me at first, but now they are comfortable. More importantly, I hope that we are willing to step out into new things for God, even if they are hard at first. Following God's will is not always easy, but if we press on, we'll come to a wonderful new place of joy in serving Him.

 

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© 2005 Mike Barres.

Title: "The Rub of New Shoes"
Author: Mike Barres
Publication Date: April 19, 2005

Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels Bill Hybels shares the passionate cry of his heart: the local church is the hope of the world and its future rests in the hands of its leaders.

Mike is a pastor and writer for a number of online publications.

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