Tool School
Having the right tool can make a big difference. Tools can turn an arduous task into something much more manageable through a transfer of energy. Tools are incorporated seamlessly in the modern world and can be taken for granted until it’s gone.
Monday’s start out with a bang like most working households with children. Everyone is gearing up for a new week and Monday has a way of setting the tone. As our family huddled in the driveway preparing to go our separate ways, we noticed an unusual object protruding out of our tire. It was a rather large screw with a head of about a 2” diameter! I attempted to nurse the vehicle to my regular mechanic but along the way the screw shot loose (literally, so thankful no one died!) and the tire went flat instantly!
Good is good, all the time, if He ain’t, then you lying.- Forrest Frank
God is good and He provides in big ways and small. I found myself in front of a small, mom and pop, gas station so I pulled in. Enter Fred. Fred is a salt of the earth guy that I would have never met if not for the flat tire. Fred strikes me as a sage type of guy who’s lived a lot of years and learned how to work smarter rather than harder. Fred is an old school guy who values the customer in front of him before the potential one calling. He’s the kind of guy that oozes wisdom unintentionally. The kind of guy who tells you the cost up front while he looks you in the eyes. I don’t know Fred well, but I like him.
Fred is a seasoned man who knows the tools of his trade and works them like a craft. I enjoyed the conversation so much that he let me accompany him to observe the process of breaking down the tire and resealing it from the inside. The screw did a number on the tire. From the time Fred removed the tire to the time the job was complete, he was meticulous in the way he used his tools. It was a work of art!
It’s often the simple reminders that speak the loudest. As I observed a man doing a task that would have taken me hours, I was reminded of the impact of a good tool. It was also evident to see the years this man had spent getting acquainted with those tools.
The message for us today is a simple but profound one. We’ve been given an incredible tool capable of doing life’s heavy lifting. In the full armor that God has provided, there is only one offensive piece that could be considered a tool. It’s the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17).
How foolish would it have been for Fred to go to the lug nuts of my tire and attempt to loosen them by hand? Fred is a sage and much smarter than that, but how often do we attempt to resolve life’s dilemmas in our own strength when the tool of God’s word is readily available? I’m guilty of this and I can tell you it’s a recipe for frustration.
It’s not enough to know the tool exists or to treat it like an irrelevant owner’s manual. We must use the tool. We use it through our obedience. Obedience to God’s word fundamentally requires humility, but it is certainly the key to taking the efforts off of us and leveraging the power available in partnership with the mighty hand of God!