Using the Right Tool

I remember pretty vividly when I was a teenager in junior high school and I had signed up to take 'Wood Shop'. I had an extra slot in my day for that semester and I thought, "Hey. This should be fun and pretty easy." So began my entry into the wonderful world of power tools.

The first couple of weeks of this class involved the teacher getting us acclimated to the different types of wood, fasteners, glue, and of course, hand and power tools. During this course, we were each able to choose a project that we would make in the shop and take home to our families. I chose a candlestick holder. I know. It sounds pretty lame. But our choices were limited to that and a wooden plaque. Not a real big selection!

I remember the first time the teacher had me run the table saw. I was terrified! I had never operated anything like it before. Plus, I really love having all my fingers attached to my hand!

As I ran the first board of my project across the table and toward the rotating saw blade, the teacher tapped me on the back to stop me because he had seen something wrong with fence next to the saw. He mentioned that it was not in the correct location and that I needed to adjust it. As he walked away to another student's project, I quickly thought about his original instructions on this table saw and I grabbed a screwdriver to make the adjustment. As I curiously gazed at the table wondering where and how to use this tool to make the adjustment, the teacher again turned back toward me and asked what I was doing with the screwdriver. Obviously, I had no clue! He then corrected me by telling me I had the wrong tool and he quickly showed me how to do things correctly.

This example is a good illustration of how we may face different kinds of challenges in our lives and, while our intentions may be good in order to fix the situation, we may exacerbate issues by using the wrong tools.

Hopefully, you have come to the understanding that God, the creator of the universe, has the answers each of us need to live our lives. After all, He's the creator. And while you may agree God is the answer, perhaps you've been trying to find Him in the wrong way. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." (John 14:6). The clear meaning of that is, there is only ONE way to get to the Father, the creator, and that is through His Son, Jesus.

The tools to walk out your destiny are available to you, freely, from the Father. You can begin to find them today by simply making the commitment to follow Him. He will give you the right tool!