I took a trip recently and was dismayed to realize that I had packed two left walking shoes. I like to buy the same running shoes when the old ones wear down so I have a selection of sneakers that all look the same in my closet. In my haste to get ready, I just grabbed two shoes and threw them in the suitcase. I wore sandals on the plane, so this meant that I would be in sandals for the trip.

The notion of having two left feet was suddenly my reality for a week, and I thought about how that usually indicates an inability to dance. I’m not a great dancer, so that fits. But I was truly hampered by my packing faux pas and ended up having to spend money on a pair of sneakers that included a right shoe, as our planned sight-seeing would not accommodate sandals.

Truly the only good reason for two left feet is if you also have two right feet and you’re a dog.

Any endeavor worth pursuing requires a certain amount of thoughtful pre-planning.Travel, work, family, sports, music, etc. all depend on your ability to think things out ahead of time and then execute those plans. I am reminded of a short parable Jesus told potential disciples about the need to consider the cost of doing things the right way.

Luke 14 (Common English Bible)

²⁸ “If one of you wanted to build a tower, wouldn’t you first sit down and calculate the cost, to determine whether you have enough money to complete it? ²⁹ Otherwise, when you have laid the foundation but couldn’t finish the tower, all who see it will begin to belittle you. ³⁰ They will say, ‘Here’s the person who began construction and couldn’t complete it!’ ³¹ Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down to consider whether his ten thousand soldiers could go up against the twenty thousand coming against him? ³² And if he didn’t think he could win, he would send a representative to discuss terms of peace while his enemy was still a long way off. ³³ In the same way, none of you who are unwilling to give up all of your possessions can be my disciple.

Jesus’ call to give up all their possessions was harsh, wasn’t it? And yet following Jesus means that we deliberately walk away from our former lives in order to have a new life in him. Relationships, material possessions, habits, plans, and even how we present ourselves to the world all have to change when we take on the life of a disciple. Even family dynamics can be affected, as many of you have experienced. The cost is high but the reward is higher.

Are you still trying to hold on to things from your pre-disciple life? Are there ways or habits that need to go in order for you to build a God-honoring, cross-centered life? Is a relationship holding you down and pulling you away from Jesus?

Trying to hold on to the former things is like trying to walk in two left shoes. You are sure to stumble and fall. Instead, give it up to God and he will surely make your path smooth.

Nope