Shoes To Fill

by Chris Simmons

It is always a great loss for the Lord’s church and for brethren in Christ when a faithful servant of God, a diligent worker, and a pillar of faith and steadfastness passes from this life. Sometimes, it’s not a matter of someone’s death but circumstances which require brethren to relocate and leave a congregation they had previously joined themselves to that creates a situation of need. In either situation, the local church most certainly suffers a loss and feels a void from their departure. When either of these occurs, those of us who remain must ask ourselves; who will step up to carry the workload they once carried? Who will be the worker, stalwart, and pillar in the church they once were? Who will fill the shoes of the faithful brother or sister in Christ who is no longer part of a local church?

First, we need to recognize the great amount of (scriptural) work that needs to be accomplished within the Lord’s church. The apostle Paul had an intense desire to be with God in heaven, yet was ever aware of the work to be done for the sake of the Lord and his brethren in Christ. He wrote in Philippians 1:21-25, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain … But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake … I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith.” In the mind of Paul, there was much work yet to do for the cause of Christ, yet he would not be able to continue this work indefinitely. In the book of II Timothy, we read of a man who realizes that “… the time of my departure has come” (II Timothy 4:6) and yet the work he began must go on. In that light, he concludes his preparation of Timothy that he might continue his work and fill his shoes. He does so by urging him to “… preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (verse 2) and to “… be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (verse 6). Paul urged Timothy to be the pillar of truth that he had been for so many years and to steadfastly continue in the work he had begun. Paul needed Timothy and others to step up and fill in the gap (cf. Ezekiel 22:30) when he would no longer be able to. Today, for whatever reason, opportunities will continue to arise in which God is looking for someone else to step up and do the work that needs to be done.

We read of a similar effort by the apostle Paul to prepare the Ephesian elders to fill his shoes in the work he had begun in Ephesus where “…night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears” (verse 31) and where he “…did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house” (verse 20). In verse 29, he told them of his impending departure and then exhorted them to “…be on the alert” (verse 31) and commended them to “…God and to the word of His grace…” (verse 32). The Ephesian elders were going to have to carry on in Paul’s absence in teaching, preaching, and defending against error. To do so, they would need to be continually devoted to the word of God.

There are other examples in the scriptures where there were shoes that needed to be filled. We read of the great leader, Moses, who lead the children of Israel to the door of the promised land but was not allowed to enter because of his sin (Deuteronomy 34:4-5). As they entered the promised land, the Lord needed someone to provide the leadership that Moses could no longer provide and Joshua proved to be that man to fill his shoes. Joshua could not be, and was not, Moses. But he could provide the needed leadership and did so in such a way that the sons of Israel listened to him and were obedient to the Lord (Deuteronomy 34:9). Joshua filled the shoes of Moses by remaining faithful to God and heeding the Lord’s words of exhortation in Joshua 1:6-8 to be “strong and courageous,” and “careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant had commanded you” and to make sure that God’s word never left his mouth. Joshua was able to fill the shoes of Moses because he had prepared himself with the word of God and by spending time with Moses to observe his example of faithfulness. In the same way today, where is the next Joshua who will fill the needed shoes with strength, courage, and devotion to the will of God?

We can also look to Elijah and Elisha when it became known to Elisha that the Lord was about take his “master” away from him (II Kings 2:3). Elisha showed great loyalty and refused to leave Elijah’s side and accompanied him as they crossed the Jordan river. Elisha then showed great wisdom when “Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.’ And Elisha said, ‘Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.’” Above all else, Elisha knew he needed Elijah’s spirit (his attitudes, wisdom, values, and knowledge) within himself if he was to carry on in Elijah’s shoes. As Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven, the mantel he carried fell from him and we read then in verse 13, “He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan.” Elisha, having made the most of his opportunities to be with and learn from Elijah, picked up where he left off. The Lord’s church today needs younger Christians who are devoted to the Lord, to following the example of faithful hard-working Christians (Philippians 3:17), and to be ready to fill their shoes whenever the need arises.

Today, as we look to those who diligently labor among us and appreciate the work they do (I Thessalonians 5:12), especially those who are younger need to be asking; am I preparing myself to fill his or her shoes someday? This is the purpose I believe of Paul’s instructions to Titus in chapter 2 and verses 1-8 as he describes the duties of men and women, both young and old, and the teaching, training, and encouragement that is to take place from one generation to the next. The younger generation will never be prepared to fill the shoes of the older generation if they are not devoted to the word of God and never seek their wisdom, faith, and knowledge and model their conduct. There are shoes to fill now and there will be more to fill in the future; who will be there to fill those shoes? The success and of the Lord’s church both here at Fifth Street East in Lancaster, California and throughout this nation and the world depend on our individual answers to that question.