Having the right tools for the project you are working on can mean the difference between difficulty and ease, pain or pleasure, safety or danger, success or defeat. When I attended Sunnydale Academy as a freshman I worked for the maintenance department where one of my duties was to clean the flues on the coal-fired boiler that heated the campus buildings. My face would normally get blackened in the process. To reduce the carbon dust my supervisor Mr. Otto told me to go to the electrical panel in the boiler room, turn off a certain breaker, and unscrew a certain fuse (there were many of both!) to kill the power before I unscrewed a wire terminal and removed the stoker control wire which would permit the auxiliary fan on the chimney to pull the dust away. All the screwdrivers were in use by other workers, so Mr. Otto handed me a broken hacksaw blade and said, “I’m sorry, this is all I have so make sure you switch off the right fuse and breaker before you touch the terminal with this hacksaw blade.”
I am grateful I lived to tell about it because I didn’t shut off the correct breaker. The moment I touched the terminal with that broken hacksaw blade I thought a horse kicked me it was so jolting!
An insulated screwdriver (the right tool) instead of a hacksaw blade would have saved me from the shock even though I switched off the wrong breaker. The right tool for the job really makes a difference. In God’s work this is also true, but we need to be cautious. We may think we recognize who is best qualified by talent to do certain ministries. In our estimation, someone may be the sharpest tool in the shed but God does not necessarily see as we see. The Bible gives numerous examples of people who didn’t feel qualified to do what God was calling them to do. Remember Moses? “Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
Can you hear Moses' self-doubt? There are other people God chose for special service that were not initially recognized by others as being qualified for special service. Remember David? He wasn’t even invited to the feast with Samuel the prophet, yet David was the one God had chosen as king. Consider talent and ability, in yourself and in others. Put yours to use for God’s glory, encourage others to use theirs but always keep in mind that God may have more in mind for you or others than you think possible.
“God purposely chose what the world considers nonsense in order to shame the wise, and he chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the powerful. He chose what the world looks down on and despises and thinks is nothing, in order to destroy what the world thinks is important. This means that no one can boast in God's presence.” 1 Corinthians 1:27-30--Good News Translation - Pastor Mike
