2:91 – The Right Tool For The Job

#faithbites #faithjourney tool

It’s 6:00 A.M. and the room is dark. My daughter and wife are snoring and I’m trying to get dressed. I need to find my knee brace without waking everyone up. I stumble in the dark looking then realize I have a flashlight on my phone. Boom, 5 seconds and done. The right took for the job.

Have you ever tried to open a can of vegetables or something without a can opener? Sure, you can do it but it’s a pain. I’ve taken a sharp knife and done it but you get shavings, possible cuts, and a lot of lost time. Wrong tool for the job.

Life is like this. We have so many tools at our disposal. Some we are more comfortable with and try to use them in every situation. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I once told someone that they have a large assortment of tools in their box, while I have a gold covered, diamond and jewel-encrusted screwdriver. It’s like the Doctor’s screwdriver, works in most situations, but not everywhere.

Some times we just need to look for the right tool, even if it means not using the one that we are most comfortable with.

Scripture

• It seems as if one had lifted up His axe in a forest of trees. And now all its carved work They smash with hatchet and hammers. – Psalm 74:5-6
• Another shapes wood, he extends a measuring line; he outlines it with red chalk He works it with planes and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of man, so that it may sit in a house. – Isaiah 44:13
• All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Reflection

Sometimes our scripture verses are vague and require us to think more clearly about them. Other times, it’s right on the money and easy to understand.

The Psalm for today reminds me of playing Minecraft. Sure, you can get wood from a tree with bare hands or you can get stone with a wood axe, but what if you have an iron axe or a diamond pickaxe? Wouldn’t you do less damage to your self and reap greater rewards?

We need to look for the gifts that God has given us and then use them to our advantage. Sometimes, we aren’t the right person to open someone up to the Lord. Maybe it’s someone else who we can inspire. Perhaps we shouldn’t be the one wielding the chainsaw during the Habitat for Humanity Build. Like in Isaiah, he says there are different people to do the different jobs. And the one man, uses many tools to accomplish the job he needs to get done. Likewise, we need to use all of the tools we have. None more powerful than the word of God.

We can’t use the tool, if we don’t understand it. We won’t understand it if we don’t open it. We can’t live it if we don’t believe. Just like a butcher’s knife, we need to take care of our tools, sharpen them, and practice. Sharing the Gospel is no different.

Charge

What tools hang in your tool belt? Do you use them to the best of your ability? How about your spiritual tool belt? Maybe you aren’t lifting up the wall, but you are laying the foundation for someone else to build the wall. Take a moment to inventory your gifts. Talk to the Lord and see what he is has given to you.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for you son Jesus. How better for us to learn to use our tools than following the son of a carpenter? Help us to know what tools to use in what circumstances. Remind us that we need to keep our tools sharp and in good condition always. In your name, Amen