In case you are just joining the foot discussion, you’ll be completely lost without reading post 1 and 2 of the series first. We are talking about Spiritual Feet today… first we covered the basics, then we covered GOOD Spiritual Feet…. and now we’re talking about the BAD Spiritual Feet – and what they may look like.
The devil has feet. Where do you suppose his feet take him? I can tell you – because it’s revealed to us in scripture:
Job 1:6-7 – One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.”
Satan is roaming the earth. He’s not roaming without a purpose, though.
1 Peter 5:8 – Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Why would Satan want someone like YOU to devour?
Because he’s mad at God, and you are how he evens the score.
Just like in the movies when the hero’s family is in danger from the bad guys – you are a child of God whom the devil wants to destroy. The sad thing is, the devil doesn’t have to really work hard on us. We are pretty easy to knock off track. All he has to do to some of us is get us busy, or tell us we are worth it, or give us some juicy gossip to share. Others he has to work on a little harder… but rest assured, he’s going to keep poking around until he finds a button that works. Leave no area of your life un-prayed for… and read “Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis if you are interested in how the mind of the devil might be working against you. It is a very interesting book!
Examples of Bad Feet:
Wandering Feet
Jeremiah 14:10 – This is what the LORD says about this people: “They greatly love to wander; they do not restrain their feet. So the LORD does not accept them; he will now remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins.”
1 Timothy 6:10 – For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Bad feet are wandering feet. They are often off-track and lead others astray (even unintentionally).
Not just unbelievers wander. We all wander. Some wander in our minds, others wander in our methods, and still others wander from the faith in sinful lifestyles that eventually destroy their faith. What we don’t realize is that we are linked to so many other people, and they are watching how we act.
We are the only Bible some people will ever read.
Let that sink in for a moment.
If we do not gain direction, we may drag others down if we fall into a pit. You would think that we would want a purpose and destination in life. I know I never had one before I found Jesus. He set my mind at ease and gave me a reason for being. I don’t have to wander any more.
It is my job to follow now, and to keep my mind from wandering into sinful places. All things may be forgivable, but they still damage your mind. I can think of quite a few sins that I have been forgiven for which I regret having the memory of! If only we could video-edit our lives!
Misleading Feet
Job 18:9 – A trap seizes him by the heel; a snare holds him fast.
Proverbs 18:7 – A fool’s mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul.
Bad feet are feet that are filled with worldly desires, and quick to ensnare others in sin. They are prideful feet, and self-absorbed.
Misleading Feet may be similar to Wandering Feet, but it mainly speaks of those who are aware that they are not doing what is right. Before you excuse yourself, though… I still do things that fall under this category, even as a believer. None of us are perfect.
My mouth has been my undoing a countless number of times. You should ask my husband how many times he’s asked me to “be careful what I say” when we go to family gatherings. I tend to just say whatever I think – and not even realize that I’ve stepped on someone else’s feet. Sometimes “my foot gets shoved in my mouth”! Sometimes I say things I don’t want my kids to repeat, sometimes I say ugly things about others. Sometimes I make really bad choices about what I do with God’s provisions.
It is not so hard to imagine yourself as the Misleading Foot if you can get your mind around the fact that God doesn’t GRADE sin. Gluttony is just as bad as stealing. Lying is just as bad as murder. In God’s grade book there are only 2 grades. One is an A+ (and only one man got it). The other is an F (yep- you guessed it – we all have a failing grade). The good thing is, Jesus died and offered us his test to turn in as our own. So we can get in on HIS grade, and not have to miss the graduation ceremony!
Busy Feet
Proverbs 7:11 – She is loud and defiant, her feet never stay at home…
Proverbs 14:1 - The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.
Bad feet are busy-body feet. They are feet without direction that lack concrete goals. They tend to walk just for the sake of walking, and are often too tired to go where they really should be going.
OK, OK! I did include a HAND verse instead of a foot verse here, but you can get the picture of where I’m leading much better if you add both together. This has to be what I struggle most with. When we are constantly moving about, going here and there, we sometimes neglect the duties that are our priorities.
I heard a story once about filling a jar with big rocks, pebbles and sand. The big rocks are GOD, your FAMILY, your FRIENDS, and all the MOST important things. The little pebbles are also good things, but they are not quite as important. The sand are daily duties that are mundane, yet still good… even necessary things! Some of us (me included) tend to fill our lives up with the sand, and have a really hard time fitting those rocks in later! Someday, our jars will be full… and our life will be laid bare. The only things you get to keep from your jar are the rocks and maybe a few pebbles. You don’t get to take all the sand to heaven. So try and remember to fill your day up with God, Family, Friends, and good things that will outlive you.
Make memories that will build your future in heaven and not just here on earth.
Fast Feet
Matthew 18:8 - If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.
Romans 3:15 – “Their feet are swift to shed blood…”
Proverbs 7:10 - Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.
Bad feet are quick to rush into wrong-doing. They are careless feet that are not paying attention to what is ahead on the path.
I had to throw that third verse in there. I have just been appalled by the “clothing” that many young women are wearing these days. I have always heard it said, “If you aren’t in business, don’t advertise!” Good advice. Women who expose too much skin are encouraging the epidemic of infidelity, teen pregnancy, divorce and even sexual-related crimes.
A Muslim friend of my husbands that he met while in Iraq asked him “Are all American teenagers like Brittney Spears?” It made me think about how I wanted my daughter to turn out. She was only about 4 at the time. I am so thankful now that she’s still modest at 14.
Looking from the outside in at America through the lens of Hollywood, it’s no wonder they call us the “Big Satan”.
Even if you are an atheist, surely you believe in a moral code of conduct. What would a nation be like that had no law? Lawlessness and anarchy are not peaceful ways to live.
Each of us has an ‘Achilles Heel’. We all have a certain one or two sins that the devil knows will be an easy button to push. The list of items gets more creative the more society spirals downward in moral decline. Even God sometimes gets surprised by our sinfulness. Don’t believe me? Read it for yourself (Jeremiah 32:35, 19:5, and 7:31). The good thing is, God is ready to forgive us and able to turn our trashy lives into treasure. I am a living example of junk-yard art!
Lazy Feet
Proverbs 5:5 - Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 – Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
Bad feet are lazy feet that are unwilling to change. Even though they know they are neglecting the right road, they do not want to turn back because it is familiar ground. They do not want to give up their lifestyle, even though God’s lifestyle for them would be so much more of a blessing if they gave it a chance.
A lazy pair of feet are always on the look-out for a short cut.
I think we can all find ourselves sporting these kinds of feet now and again. We are “too busy” to serve at church. We pray that “someone else” helps and encourages someone that we could be helping and encouraging ourselves. We find excuses not to do the good we know we ought to do. We remain ignorant of the details of God’s will and plan for our lives because we lack the desire, will, and energy to do a basic bible study or spend time in the Word every day.
Lazy feet are prayerless feet.We leave our life up to chance because we couldn’t be bothered to pray for God’s blessings in all the areas of our life that He longs to bless us in.
A lazy foot is one that may be well dressed on the outside and have the name brand of shoe on, but inside, there are hidden issues – and a lot of stink! We have all heard it said that “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”. If today is all you get, what will you do with it?
Changing Course
Jesus desires to keep us from the enemy’s traps – but he won’t force His salvation on us… that’s where our free will comes in. Jesus has feet, too. They won’t look like those same limp, bloodied feet that we imagined (as seen on countless of crosses and Sunday School art). Jesus’ feet will be a big surprise – just as his resurrected, life-filled, human feet were to the ladies who came to his tomb to wash them on the day he rose. We, too, will be amazed at those awesome feet. And I long to fall before them and worship one day in person.
Revelation 1:15 – His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.
Psalm 31:8 – You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.
We each get to pick the road we will take. Just like the red and blue pills in the ‘Matrix’, there are only two choices. Where are your feet headed?
Note to readers: I am breaking this down into four different posts, on four different days to make it easier to ‘digest’. I originally posted this in 2005 after just starting my blogging journey. I’m updating a few of these older posts now and then to refresh them and add new photos. I hope you enjoy the re-run! Be sure to come back next week when I revive part 4.
Stay tuned soon for more on feet { The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly }…
In Him,
Heather
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Disclaimer : All verses in this post and most others are taken from the New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society unless otherwise noted.
