Big Shoes to Fill

Read First Corinthians 4:14-16

We’ve all heard it said: “Those are big shoes to fill;” and the apostle Paul’s certainly were, nevertheless, in verse 16 he said; “be ye followers of me,” and later in chapter 11, verse 1, he said; “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” Wow, those are even bigger shoes to fill! But is having big shoes to step into and fill a burden or a blessing? Although we may be prone to look at it as a burden, as being overwhelming, nevertheless I believe it to be a blessing.
When you were growing up, did you ever wind up filling a pair of shoes that was too small for you? Doing so hurt your feet, they inhibited your ability to walk, and they gave you no room for growth. But having big shoes to fill, although they might flop around a little bit, they don’t hurt your feet, nor do they inhibit your ability to walk, and they most certainly give you room to grow.
Paul’s shoes were most certainly big shoes to fill, and they were big shoes to fill because he was looking to fill even bigger shoes, the shoes of Jesus Christ. Having big shoes to fill can indeed feel overwhelming at times, but having small shoes, or no shoes, to aspire to fill is a much worse state to be in. Big shoes give you room for growth, specifically to grow to be more like Paul, and particularly to be more like Christ. Don’t allow yourself to fall into the trap of being content with filling small shoes, instead aspire to fill the big shoes of the One who challenged you; “Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1Pt 1:16). Don’t be discouraged or disheartened by the size of the shoes, be determined to keep pressing “toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14), and to be always; “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb 12:2).