Gold Shoes
What are the things in your life that give you meaning, hope, and happiness?
Imagine a hard-working, productive young man who is also risk-adverse and a minimalist. Worried about inflation, and not wanting to risk his money in stock and bonds, he accumulates gold, buying bits and pieces at a time. Eventually he crafts them into beautiful, solid gold shoes.
The shoes are priceless and precious and his pride and joy. But he wonders if there is a higher purpose to his life than accumulating gold. And one day, he finds that indeed there is.
At the edge of a beautiful mountain lake, he see that his destiny is on the other side, and the only way there is to swim across. Bummer. He’s at a major decision point. He recognizes that to reach the other side he’ll have to abandon his precious golden shoes! But how can he? He’s spent his lifetime creating them. They’re beautiful! They’re valuable! They mean the world to him! But, if he wears them as he swims across the lake, they will be the very things that sink him to the bottom and destroy him. On the other hand, he can’t NOT go across the lake - that’s his destiny! What is he to do?
And that’s where the story ends. Like the 19th century Scottish author George MacDonald, who once told a similar story, my intent is to leave you hanging on what the young man’s decision will be. More importantly, I want to leave us hanging on what our decision will be.
Because, I contend, that’s where many of us live today: the choice between what is precious in our lives today, but which actually hinders our progress to go where we’re meant to be. Sometimes the things in our lives may be good, but will impede our progress towards our future. Sometimes we need to lose the lesser in order to gain the greater.
The Apostle Paul wrestled with this himself and chronicled it for us in his letter to the church he started in Philippi. In the Biblical book of Philippians, chapter 3, verses 4-11, he writes:
If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.
But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
In modern terms, Paul was born to a wealthy U.S. Senator, attended Harvard & MIT, was firmly in the C-Suite with the corner office, and was headed for more. His shoes were 70’s style, solid gold platform shoes! But, something happened. Paul saw his destiny and knew if he was to reach the far shore he would have to ditch his shoes, give it all away, and set out for his future.
More accurately, Paul was one of the best religious guys the world had ever seen and was on the fast-track, until he met Jesus. In Jesus, he realized he had been creating his golden shoes of religion only to find out they were useless. Not only would they not help, but they would destroy him if he kept them. So, he shook off the show of religion and entered a relationship with the living God. Paul never looked back and he never regretted it. Jesus is worth everything!
The reason I believe these stories, mine fictional and St. Paul’s true, to be relevant, is because that’s where I find many people. This world certainly contains people who are down and out and living on the streets, but there are many others traveling toward the corner office in their luxury cars sipping fine wine. What I want to emphasize is that none of those things are inherently wrong and may be great blessings. But, like the gold shoes, they may also be the very things keeping you from your ultimate purpose, ultimate destiny and utmost love, joy & peace – a relationship with Jesus Christ.
So, what are your gold shoes? (You may even have a few pairs). What things/activities/beliefs are keeping you from a personal relationship with God? Ditch ‘em. Paul discovered a relationship with Christ is worth anything he would ever have to lose. And so will you. May God bless you on your quest.
