My father wasn’t much of a handyman. He was a school teacher. That was what made his obsession with tools fascinating. He loved to go to Sears just to buy tools. He told me Sears had a lifetime replacement warranty on tools so those were the ones to buy. You never knew when you are going to wear out a crescent wrench. Most of what he brought home was never used. But one never knows when one might need a super socket set. A man can never have too many tools. The only tools my dad ever wore out were textbooks and other teaching tools.
In Ephesians 6 Paul speaks of military tools being used by Christians. It’s interesting that he never used any tent-making analogies. Jesus was well acquainted with tools from his carpentry years. He did make reference to building on a rock or sand and He spoke about a man building a tower without doing a cost analysis. He did speak about sawdust in your eye. But He never did talk about His carpentry tools. His new tools were His disciples. If you are going to build the new kingdom it isn’t with an adz. His tools aren’t saws and hammers they are you and me.
I like the idea of being a tool in the hands of the Master. Maybe He needs you or me to do a very specific job just as some tools are very specialized. Whatever it is I hope we do it well. As a result of my father’s tool obsession my shop area is well equipped. There are some tools there I have no idea what they are. But I have them just in case. Perhaps Jesus keeps us ready just in case.
Written by Roger Bothwell on November 13, 2014
Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org