Tools in God’s Hands

    

      Our God is certainly a God of variety. When it comes to the world and the creatures he has placed here, we see the evidence of differences and variety. In nature, we see the many different kinds of trees, rocks, animals, and landscapes. Every snowflake, fingerprint, and DNA profile is different. Personalities, physical looks, and preferences are unique to each person. God intended for it to be that way. He didn’t want a boring world of “look-a-likes.”

      God also gave each of us different gifts, talents, and abilities. Paul writes in 1Corinthians 12 about spiritual gifts from God. He also writes about how the different “parts” of the “body of Christ,” the members of the church, should work together and use the individual gifts to encourage everyone, build God’s kingdom, and bring glory to Jesus. In Romans 12 Paul again discusses gifts and unity, “…we are one body in Christ, and individually we belong to one another.” We belong to one another, yet our steady focus is on Christ.

      We get into trouble when we begin to compare our gifts to others, when we begin to criticize how others are using their gifts, and when we focus more on the gift instead of the Giver.

      To illustrate this point Leslie B. Flynn in his book, Nineteen Gifts of the Spirit, gives us the following story.

      A group of carpenter tools held a meeting and the hammer decided to preside. Several other tools suggested he leave the meeting because he was too noisy. So Hammer said, “If I leave then Screw must leave also because he must be turned around and around to get him to do anything.” Screw said, “I’ll leave, but Plane must leave with me because all his work is on the surface. He has no depth.”

      To this Plane responded, “Ruler needs to go because she is always measuring everyone as if she is always right.” Ruler complained that Sandpaper was always so rough and seems to rub people the wrong way.”

      About this time the Carpenter of Nazareth came into the shop and began picking up the tools and working on a pulpit from which the gospel would be proclaimed. He used all the tools as he worked; the hammer, screw, plane, ruler, and sandpaper. When the pulpit was finished, the Saw said, “Tools, it seems we are all workers together in God’s kingdom.”

      So maybe this story is telling you and me that the gifts given to us by God really belong to him and should be given back to him for his use. Maybe the ultimate gift is the gift of our selves placed unconditionally into his hands.

Rev Tim McConnell Long’s Chapel UMC, July 29, 2012