Sliding two worn-out crocs with the speed strap down changes the game entirely. Probably because nobody has game in them. People think you are the life of the party, but nobody takes you serious-- all because of the shoes on your feet.
I have dated many girls that try to get me to take the crocs off my feet. One of them finally won long after she was gone. Wearing crocs made me feel unattractive because of the attention I got when I wore something different. I would look more charming if I just wore something ordinary.
The more we chase sin, the less unique we become. We end up being nothing more than the carbon copy of those that fall before us. We wear the same shoes, desire similar relationships, and end up having identical shortcomings. Do you know why so many people seem to know so much about us when we are caught up in sin? Because we aren't that unusual when we succumb to temptation.
Desperate to make friends so you start drinking or smoking? You're probably in college. Torturing yourself with old pictures and porn? Breakups hurt. Never commit to anything? I wonder who failed to commit to you. Credit cards getting maxed out? It sucks when people think our worth is in possessions.
You want to know why young Christians are struggling and failing to see the purpose of faith? Because those of us that have gone before them are painting an ungodly picture of a genuine pursuit for Christ.
Christ-followers are on dating apps but are not there to date. We swipe right to feel valued and get burned by constant temptations. Christ-followers are getting buzzed and tipsy because they just want to have a good time with friends and blow off some steam. I hope there is enough alcohol in hell to counterbalance the heat. We are having premarital sex, sexual conversations, and promoting a life we aren't even trying to live. Filth pours from our mouth so we can have friends and appear funny. Hopefully those laughs are loud enough to help us sneak past the gates of heaven because telling those jokes made us forfeit our citizenship. And perhaps the stones I am hurling seem a bit harsh until you recognize they are boomeranging back at me.
I want to wear crocs and follow Jesus and not have people tell me I am a loser who needs to get serious about my life. You can be serious about this life and I will get serious about the next. You know how many girls swipe left because of what is on my feet? And I hate the fact that I honestly care about their opinion. Every second I spend worrying about them is another second I am not focusing on Him.
If we care enough about how people perceive our looks, we are going to have a tough time trying to show our grace. There will not be people around us when we stand before the throne. So judgment will not be a decision based on how people regard us.
If you think you are going to hell because another person sees you as a sinner, then there should be more condemnation for their judgment than your imperfection. That is until we seek their validation, then we perceive their opinion to be more worthy of our attention than God's.
This is a new series on being weird. It is a series about living differently because the clothes on our body say a lot less than the words coming out of our mouth. The shoes on our feet say little about our value as a person. For those that think less of us because we rock crocs, that is a testament to their fear of being embarrassed for their looks. To be vulnerable, I have cared about what girls thought about me to the point I completely changed my wardrobe to look more attractive. I got their validation and lost my salvation in the process.
What is it worth to change our shoes? They should be vehicles carrying us to our next destination. What is on your feet says little about who you are trying to become. So what clothes are you changing out of fear they define you? Why are you afraid of living authentically?