“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12 NKJV). We are tools in the hands of the Master. Within us the Master has placed further tools for use in His kingdom. These tools in God’s toolbox are designed for great good, which is God’s reasonable expectation, though their specific and expedient use is left up to the person possessing them. Unfortunately, many of these tools either go unused or go unrecognized. Neglect or failure to use them will conceal the tools so that we forget we even have them.
I was reminded of this just a few days ago while teaching at a local Christian school. The church that houses the school was cleaning some large closets and had systematically pulled all of the items out of each closet and arranged them on the floor of the hallway. Like items were grouped together. As I walked by and observed this, I was not only impressed by the organization but also by one pile within the mass of piles. Near the end of a hallway, just before a descending stairwell, on the cold hard tile, sat a large pile of hammers. I would estimate there were no less than 30 to 40 hammers of various shapes, sizes and purposes in the stack.
As I descended the staircase, I met one of the older gentlemen working in the room and simply said, “You could do a lot of building with that lot of hammers.” His simple response was, “Well, we forgot they were even there.” Along with them were stacked all sorts of other tools like trowels, caulking guns, knee pads, screwdrivers and some leather tool belts. It reminded me of the equipment we carry to Mexico every year, though they had at least three times more, left in a closet and forgotten. It may seem like a waste to us, but how much worse is the waste of the human talent that could swing those hammers? Of course, I am not implying that is what went on at this church for I neither know the reason they were collected nor their history. Yet, the point remains.
One must wonder just how many potential preachers there are who never get out of the pew to deliver a single lesson. One must wonder how many teachers, elders, song leaders, missionaries or other potential tools in God’s toolbox never get beyond siting in a pew on Sundays. They drop their money in a plate with the expectation that “someone who is good at such things will do them.” One wonders how many of God’s tools every day are neglected and resigned to the dusty, neglected corner of church buildings.
Resolve to not be one of God’s neglected tools. Do not let the talents and abilities He has given you lie dormant or dead. Brush them off and use them to their full affect for His kingdom.
[Editor’s Note: My late wife Bonnie – as well as her best friend and my wife now, Martha – never imagined that they could write religious articles in which anyone would be interested. With a little encouragement and oversight, they both have authored many articles that will continue to be useful to readers long after they are gone. Not long ago, something that Martha had written was read aloud by a Gospel preacher in the Philippines during a teaching session viewed over the Internet. Look in your closet. Are you an unused tool that belongs in the hands of the Master? ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]
