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“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:14-15

My feet are not pretty. Thanks to the titanium hardware and pins in both feet that permanently align my first and second metatarsals, at least my bone structure isn’t scary to look at anymore. And because I’m not a mani-pedi kinda of gal, my toenails are rarely perfectly shaped and popping with bright colors. (I’ll let you in on a little secret: In my oh-so-low-maintenance way, I tend to paint my toenails before some fancy event where open-toed shoes are a must…then I’ll repaint them after that color has completely grown out. Insert your eye roll here.)

The Bible’s definition of beautiful feet is a bit different—it’s not about heel scrubs, colored gels, or even little fishies nibbling dead skin (yes, this is a thing). According to the Prophet Isaiah (52:7) and quoted again by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans (10:15), “Beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news.” Beautiful feet carry the gospel message of saving grace to a lost and broken world. And as believers, we are called to tell the world about Jesus, making disciples and teaching all the nations what Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:16-18; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8).

So, as vital as it is for believers to live out our faith in demonstration of who we are in Christ, being salt and light in the ever-deepening darkness around us, we can’t stop there. We have to open our mouths and speak the words of salvation so the Holy Spirit can do His thing—bringing the walking dead to life. But this can be intimidating and downright scary. What if we say the wrong thing? What if we’re confronted with arguments that we can’t effectively counter or are asked a question we don’t know the answer to? What if we’re mocked?

There is so much to say about our role in spreading the good news of Jesus, why it’s so important to be obedient in this, how it’s our job to speak truth and life but not our responsibility to do the saving, and what tactics are best to evangelize. And there’s a lot written about these topics by many brilliant theologians and apologists. What I’d like to do here is simply challenge you—and me—to open our mouths. Mostly me. I love Jesus! I can’t get enough of studying His Word. Because I was dead and have been made alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:1-10), I want others to know and believe! That said, I can be a great big scaredy-cat in sharing the gospel when I’m not sitting safely behind my keyboard.

So, here’s a challenge I was recently given that I’m also setting before you, dear friend: Write down a 30-second (or one-minute for those of us with more verbosity) gospel presentation. And step two: Practice it—with your spouse, a friend, or the mirror. Let’s be ready to give a reason for the hope we have in Christ Jesus (1 Peter 3:15). In other words, let’s file down and moisturize our rough heels, choose a bright nail color (or a clear coat, for you guys), and step out in faith with beautiful feet—sharing the good news of Jesus with those around us.

“Lord, I am not ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:16)! Forgive me for not telling others about Jesus when the opportunity has come. May I be prepared and have the courage to open my mouth, allowing the Holy Spirit to bring the dead to life.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life