Check Them at the Door

There are many cultures that have a tradition of taking off your shoes, and leaving them at the door, before entering a house. It could be for cleanliness or out of respect to the host, it could even serve to “equalize” everyone in the room, because without my tattered sneakers and your designer pumps, we’re on level playing ground.

In the spiritual world, there are other things we need to be leaving at the door. There’s a story about a man and his invited friend coming home from work after a really bad day. Before entering his house, the man made a gesture as if he was taking something off, like a shirt, and he pretended to hang it on the branch of a tree. The friend asked what he was doing and he replied, “Whatever happened at work, I leave it outside. I don’t take it in to my family because they deserve better. Usually when I leave for work the next day, it’s already gone.”

Cory Asbury sings a song, The Father’s House, and in the chorus there’s a line I like. “Check your shame at the door, it ain’t welcome here anymore, you’re in the Father’s house.” The bible tells us in 1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” Our heavenly Father wants you to lay your burdens at His feet; He wants you to be free from stress and worry, so that you can focus on Him and feel all the love He has for you.

Shame, regret, guilt, anxiety…these are just some of Satan’s tactics to draw you away from God. Out of respect for the price Jesus paid on the cross, check them at the door. Out of cleanliness for your heart, please check them at the door. After spending some time in the presence of the King, I’m guessing they won’t be there when you leave.