Keeping the Tools Sharp and Ready
God gives us tools to use for dealing with issues that come up in our lives every day. If those tools are not kept sharp and easy to put into use, we won’t be ready to handle the challenges we face.
The Tools God Gives us
By Bob Burridge ©2010
For the first thirteen years of my life we lived in an upstairs flat in my grandfather’s house in Buffalo. He and my grandmother lived in the down-stairs flat so we were a very close family. Grampa was always fixing things and making things in the shop he set up down in the basement we all shared. I often would sit on a stool in the cellar watching him busy at his workbench, and talking with him as he worked on metals, wood, and plastics.
Often he would take time to sharpen his saws and the blade on his wood plane. He would oil the many machines he had there and keep them clean and working at maximum efficiency. Every tool was always in top condition, and stored exactly where it was supposed to be. He was always ready for any job that came along.
Another place where I remember seeing a lot of tools was in the dentist’s office. I remember how clean and orderly everything seemed to be on those occasions when I had to make a visit there for some repairs or to have my teeth cleaned. If the dentist’s drill and instruments were dusty, rusty and in a jumbled mess his patients wouldn’t have much confidence in their safety or in his quality of work.
When the tools are left to rust or to become dull it’s usually a sign of a person who neglects their use or who is satisfied with shabby work. The person using them isn’t ready when the need comes along for repairs. Works can’t be done well when the tools can’t be found or are in poor condition.
God gives us tools to use for dealing with issues that come up in our lives every day. If those tools are not kept sharp and easy to put into use, we won’t be ready to handle the challenges we face.
God gives us his word in the Bible. That tool explains the way things really are in the world God made. It shows us how to deal with life’s important issues and to make effective repairs when things aren’t right.
Another tool he gives us is the power of prayer. If we don’t know how God teaches us to pray we will not be effective in bringing needs to the only one who can reach into hearts to transform problems into wonderful victories.
God also gives us the tool of proper worship. When we know how to honor God in worship, and how to properly administer and receive the sacraments, we have an effective instrument for drawing closer to our Redeemer and for growing stronger spiritually.
God also equips us with the fellowship of our spiritual family. When our relationships with other believers and with the church are in good order, we have the help and encouragement we need as a family of God living here on earth.
It’s not the Bible itself or the power of God that needs sharpening. All the tools we’re given are fully able to do any job their called up to do. The problem is in our effective use of these tools. The Bible is of no use to you if you don’t know what it says. Prayer should be directed to God in the way he instructs us, and with the right expectations of it. Worship that honors our Creator should be what he tells us pleases him, not just what feels right for us. And our fellowship with others in the church is more than just recognizing them when we see them, or having a church directory in a place where we can find it.
Make sure you can use the tools God gives you effectively. Keep your use of them in good order. When these instruments of spiritual power and growth are kept sharp and available you have what you need in dealing with the challenges that come along every day.