My Brother’s Shoes

MY BROTHER’S SHOES

By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly

Can you feel it? Our lives are like tubes of toothpaste—under pressure and squeezed on all sides.  We may be able to contain ourselves for a time, but as pressure builds, we will eventually either pop our cap or split a seam.  And when we do, what we hold inside will come oozing out.

Take a look around.  When challenged, we respond by reaching deep down inside and pulling out what we find there.  If we are full of ourselves, we pull out flesh, responding with hate, selfishness, bitterness, revenge and rage.

The Lord understands our struggle.  When Jesus was on the cross, He carried the weight of the world on His shoulders.  Under intense pressure and with the last of His strength ebbing away, in love, He poured out everything within Him—compassion, grace and love, saying,

“Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” – Luke 23:34 NIV

What we are full of will eventually come spilling out.  Beloved, if your cup isn’t full of Jesus, why not come and ask Him to fill you again?

Father, fill us up!  We remember Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, and want to bring honor to His name by pouring out upon others from what was so lavishly poured out for us.  May we be so full of Your Spirit that, when pressed, we will pour out Jesus on our suffering world.

Help us to put ourselves in our brother’s shoes, feel his pain and, in compassion, do something about it.  In wearing his shoes, may we understand where he has walked, feel the heavy burden he has carried, and respond by girding ourselves with the towel of a servant and washing his feet.

Lord, give us the heart of Jesus.  May we prefer one another, in humility pursue justice and reconciliation and discover lasting peace.  And in submission to Your lordship, may we confound the plans of the enemy the same way You conquered sin and death— by pouring out compassion, grace and love. In Jesus’ Name ❤️

https://www.facebook.com/Prayers-of-a-Ragamuffin-Warrior-171515087035441/

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