by Julia M. Bruce, MSPC, Mental Health Coach,
CEO, Wellspring Christian Ministries

I remember as a little girl walking around in my dad’s shoes. They looked a lot like the ones in this photo. His shoes were huge on my tiny feet and they would clunk around with every step. They were very hard to keep on and constantly fell off. He also used to let me stand on the tops of his feet while he walked around holding on to my hands. I can also remember him letting me sit up on top of his shoulders. It’s probably something lots of kids do. But as an adult, I think about the example both my parents set for me and my sisters. 

Dad had some really big shoes to fill, but hopefully he would be proud of the woman I have become. In thinking back to those very long ago days, there are some lessons to learn from dad’s really big shoes, standing on his feet, and sitting on his shoulders.

Lesson 1: Shoes that are too big clunk around and easily fall off.

If you are a parent or leader in any capacity, be sure that you lead in such a way that it fits those whom you are leading. If your leadership is so floppy and loose that no one knows the boundaries and expectations, you set them up to fail. (Click to tweet) 

If you leadership is floppy and loose, you and those you lead will experience frustration and resentment, which leads to a lot of complaining, behavior problems, temper tantrums, talking back, disunity, destruction, scattering, and disrespect. Kind of like the loud clunking sound of dad’s shoes falling off my feet with every step.

Because there is no respect for you as a leader, your team falls apart or your kids start rebelling. What little bit of leading you try to do, just falls off like a pair a greatly over-sized shoes. Because there are no clear boundaries or expectations, there will be arguing and fighting. The team spirit will be destroyed, along with harmony, teamwork, and respect. Everyone will scatter off to their place with hurt feelings, anger, and bitterness. They will resent you and each other as their expectations are not not met.

Every leader must give an account to God

In Jeremiah 23:1, God says, “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” In this verse, God is referring to the priests and prophets who led Israel astray from God’s commandments through false teachings. However, I think we can apply it to anyone who is responsible to lead others. Every leader must one day give an accounting to God for how they lead. Big, floppy, loose leadership is lazy leadership and does not honor God in any way. In fact, in big, floppy, loose leadership, everything just falls off and leaves behind a big mess.

Lesson 2: Walking on Dad’s feet means I go where he goes.

Doesn’t that give new meaning to the children’s song, “O be careful little feet where you go?” If you would not want to lead your child where you are going, then you shouldn’t be going there at all! (Click to tweet) 

If you are a church leader, then it’s like every person in your congregation is standing on your feet and going where you take them spiritually and you have the responsibility to divide the Word of Truth correctly – without sugar coating it or preaching just the happy parts that everyone wants to hear.

As a supervisor, your team stands on your feet and they go where you go. You can lead them to success and meat goals or you can lead them to the destruction of the team and maybe even the company. If you lead with integrity, they will most likely work with integrity. If they see you disrespect and speak rudely to clients/customers, then they will be more likely to do so as well.

God will hold us accountable for where we lead the people He has placed in our lives to lead. Titus 2:7 says, “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned.” As a parent or leader, every thing you do or say is being watched and learned. If you are a “do as I say and not as I do” kind of leader you can expect that those whom you lead will do as you do more than they will do what you say. Where are you leading them – because they are walking on the tops of your feet and going where you go.

Lesson 3: At some point, you have to stop walking on someone else’s feet and follow God’s plan for your life

Another thought for leaders from walking on dad’s feet is that if I only ever walk on his feet, then all I will ever know is what he knows. (Click to tweet)  

I have to get down off his feet and find the path that God has for me. I was not made to walk his path. God has a purpose and plan for me and I have to walk that path or I am living out of His will. We need to lead with integrity, dignity, and sound speech, but we also have to allow those whom we lead to grow and develop into what God would have them be.

Paul mentored both Timothy and Titus. In fact, in everyone of Paul’s letters, he was mentoring, instructing, and training the churches and church leaders. Paul wrote in Philippians 3:17, “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” He didn’t train them to be miniature-look-alike Pauls. They may have been called to ministry like Paul, but they still had a separate mission from Paul. They were to imitate him, but not be identical to him.

People you lead can’t spend their entire life walking on your feet.

The people you lead can’t spend their entire life walking on your feet. It’s cute when a toddler does it….not so much when that toddler grows into an adult. You need to be preparing them for the day they step off your feet and onto the path God has for them. Besides if you carry them around all the time, the weight gets really heavy and your feet might fall asleep. Hold their hands and carry them as they are learning, but then you have to tell them to get down and take the path God wants them on. It doesn’t mean you have to stop mentoring them. But you do have to let them fulfill the plan God has for them – not the plan God has for you.

Lesson 4: Sitting on top of Dad’s shoulders gave me a whole new view of the world

My dad was just over six feet tall. What I saw of the world when up on his shoulders was a very different view from my short, toddler height. As leaders we influence and shape the worldview of those whom we lead. The people you lead come with all kinds of different life experiences that shape how they see and view the world. Some of them may come from Christian homes and some may come from very different, horrible life experiences. But as Christians leaders/parents we have a responsibility to show them something different. Sometimes, you need to let them sit up on your shoulders so they can see over all those life experiences and see Christ instead.

1 Timothy 4:12 says that we should be an example in word, conduct, love, spirit, faith, and purity. When we live Christ-like lives day in and day out, model godly living, and allowing our light to shine, it’s the equivalent of letting them sit up on your shoulders so they can get a different view – one that includes grace, mercy, unconditional love, and forgiveness of sins.

Lesson 5: When you grow weary and tired, it’s nice to have someone’s shoulders

Let’s face it. We all get tired at some point. When my dad would life me up and carry me on his shoulders it was often because I was tired of walking on my own little feet. Some days we have to talk ourselves out of bed. Other days we have to talk ourselves into just putting one foot in front of the other. The weight and cares of this world are exhausting. Don’t be afraid to be the kind of leader that picks a person up and carries them for a while. We do this by praying for them, showing genuine empathy, extending grace, encouraging them, and being a good listener. (click to tweet) 

Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” No load is as heavy when two people are carrying it. So lend your shoulders when they are needed.

The Blessing of Godly Examples

My dad is in heaven now, but what an example he was and my mother is for my sisters and I.

In 2 Timothy we learn that Timothy had godly examples to follow in his grandmother and mother. Because of their influence on his life, Timothy would grow up to work with Paul and eventually pastor the church at Ephesus. These two godly women taught Timothy the boundaries and expectations that God outlined for godly living.

They carried him on the tops of their feet as a child, taking him to church, reading the scriptures to him, and training him in all the ways of God. When the time came, they scooted him off their feet, well prepared for the task God had for him – even in the midst of the church being persecuted.

They gave him a worldview that included God as creator and Christ as Savior. Since his father was Roman and not Christian, he probably was exposed to some other worldviews too, but the one that stuck was the one where his grandmother and mother carried him on their shoulders so that he could see Christ over all the other worldviews trying to claim his attention.

Leading a church in the midst of the church being persecuted had to be difficult and tiring work. Outside of the short verses in 2 Timothy 1 where Paul commends Grandma Lois and Mother Eunice, there isn’t much else said about them. I am sure that they prayed for Timothy daily and Timothy would have known they were. But Timothy also had Paul. And the books of 1 and 2 Timothy are Paul’s letters to Timothy. These letters represent at least some of the time where Paul carried Timothy on his shoulders – encouraging him when he was tired and weary.

Think about who might end up wearing your shoes one day

Whether you’re a parent or supervisor or leader in any capacity you need to think about who might be standing there wearing your shoes one day. Jesus said in John 13:15, “For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” If those whom you lead did just as you did, would that be a good thing or a bad thing? (Click to tweet) 

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When we ask Jesus to forgive us and save us from our sin, He takes our old, sinful self and makes us new in Him. This beautiful canvas is a great reminder of what Jesus has done for us.

See our Canvase prints in the Teespring Store: All Things New

We’ve added a new canvas print to the Teespring Store. These prints make great gifts or for decor in your home.

When we ask Jesus to forgive us and save us from our sin, He takes our old, sinful self and makes us new in Him. This beautiful canvas is a great reminder of what Jesus has done for us.

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7 FREE Downloadable Resources

Now you can enhance your Bible Reading with the Verse Mapping Template

Our Verse Mapping download is FREE and includes 6 pages: 3 pages of instructions for using the template and the 2 page template, plus the cover page. If you’re looking to go deeper into God’s Word, learn more about God and develop a stronger spiritual life, Verse Mapping will help you dig into the scriptures. As you apply God’s Word to your life, you will develop a more intimate knowledge and relationship with God.

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What Satan Does Not Want You To know

This trifold document includes Scripture verses that Satan does not want you to know about. As you hide these verses in your heart, you’ll be able to defeat the lies of Satan when he tries his wiles and schemes on you.

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Stress Journal

We all face stress. How we handle stress, however, has many variables. Learning how to recognize stress, coping with stress, and creating a self-care plan during times of stress can begin by journaling. Taken from our series on Biblical self-care for people in ministry, we’ve created this free download to help you through the things that cause you stress.

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2021 Bible Memory Verse Plan

We’ve put together 52 memory verses for you to hide God’s Word in your heart! You can download the full document for free and then print a new verse each week and as many copies as you’d like. Each verse prints four times on a page so that you can then cut them into index size cards and place them in prominent places where you will see them frequently throughout the day to help you remember to memorize them. Just because you visited our site, they’re yours for free! Download today.

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The Path to Sin

Satan is constantly trying to trip us up and he doesn’t even play fair because he uses our own desires as bait to get us to sin. James tells us the five steps that lead us down the path to sin in James 1:14-15, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” This download helps you identify your desires so that you can better recognize when Satan is baiting you and you can avoid falling into sin. When used along with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to identify the desires that Satan baits you with, you can then ask the Holy Spirit to help you not become a victim to the bait of your desires. Download the worksheet today.

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One Year Bible Reading Plan

With just 30-40 minutes per day, you can read the entire Bible in one year. The One-Year Bible Reading Plan consists of both Old Testament and New Testament readings for each day of the year. The Bible is God’s personal Word to you. What is He saying to you today? Open your Bible and find out!

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Self-Care Wheel

The Self-Care Wheel provides ideas for practicing self-care in six dimensions of yourself: Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Sensory, and Social. NOTE: You will need 11X14 paper to print the wheel.

Want to know more about self-care? Our Self-Care blog series targets people who serve in any ministry position (paid staff or volunteer) and takes a Biblical approach to self-care.

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God, Love and Marshmallow Wars by Julia M. Bruce

What’s Inside God, Love and Marshmallow Wars?

God, Love and Marshmallow Wars is a book that includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:

• Scripture to memorize and meditate on.
• Conversation Starters.
• Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages.
• Romance Builders.
• Relationship Builders.
• Personal reflections.
• Date ideas.
• Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples.

Available in hardback, paperback and ebook from Westbow Press Bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. Click the icons below to purchase from your preferred bookstore. Now also available at WalMart online.

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