Each morning before leaving home, the typical person will look in the mirror to check his appearance and ensure that they look presentable. Some traits can be adjusted, such as bedhead or food on our faces; others are simply a part of who we are, like my freckles and stubborn cowlick. It’s important for us to examine ourselves regularly, though! Take a look at your feet, considering: what is your appearance before God? Would He describe your feet as “beautiful”? “As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” (Romans 10:15).
It is amazing to me that an almighty and glorious God can look upon sinners like us, and see beauty. What is it that gives us beautiful feet before God? God sees our response to His beauty and His beautiful message and our identification with the message to the extent that we are compelled to take it to others – and He pronounces beautiful the feet willing to labor for the sake of that beauty! Consider for a moment how you can grow to have more beautiful feet:
- Beautiful feet aren’t too busy for what’s important – they are busy with what’s most important!
- Beautiful feet don’t neglect the lost – they go intentionally to the lost!
- Beautiful feet aren’t pampered – they’re prepared (Ephesians 6:15)!
- Beautiful feet aren’t saved from hard work – they’re saved for hard work!
- Beautiful feet don’t reflect our beauty – they reflect the beauty of a beautiful God with a beautiful message about His beautiful Son!
So, where do we start?
- Never stop beholding God’s character and gazing upon His beauty as you commit to regular time in His Word and prayer: “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).
- Bear Jesus’ heart of compassion and let it move you: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).
- We’re already going! Where does God take you in the course of the day? Who has He given you a relationship with? Who around you is hurting, struggling, or otherwise seeking hope, help, and answers?
- Never give up! It’s worth it, even when people reject and despise you for your faithfulness to the good news about Jesus. Even Isaiah, when he said “Here I am! Send me,” was then told, “Go, and say to this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive’” (Isaiah 6:9).
How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news! Let us join together as those God has sent by enabling us to know Jesus so that we can make Him known!