Roy Behling   

GOD'S TOOLBOX

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." - 2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV)

In the verse above, Paul talks about being a "workman" for God and studying the Word to hone our skills. If we are to be workman we need some tools, so let's take a look in our toolbox and see what we have:

Safety goggles:    As Christians we need to have some safety measures in place for our eyes, such as what TV and movies we watch, what reading material we use and what type of places we allow ourselves to go.

Level:  A level helps us line things up with precision. That's how we need to approach life. The word of God should be our level so the things in our life line up with the Bible and what it teaches us.

Screwdriver: This common tool is used to put screws in by turning in the correct direction and back them out by turning the other direction. Do we turn the correct way that God wants us to, even if it's not the direction we want to go and would rather back out?

Nuts and Bolts: These amazing little things hold pieces together even under tremendous pressure. Do we count on Christ to hold us together so we can withstand the tremendous pressure of the world?

Adjustable Wrench: They have adjustable heads to accommodate various sizes of nuts and bolts. Are we flexible to situations that arise and adjust to unforeseen events in a Christian way?

Chisel: With a sharp edge at one end it is used to chip and carve into something solid such as wood or stone. Are we busy chipping out the things that are not necessary or Anti-Christian in our lives?

Hammer: As workmen we are going to have to use a hammer from time to time to put things in place. Do we have things hammered into place in our lives such as regular Bible reading, regular prayer and regular worship attendance?

Pliers: Used for grabbing hold of things we are working on, there are going to be some things in our Christian lives that we need to grab hold of and work on such as prayer life, witnessing or something else we are struggling with.

Tape Measure: When we are working on our Christian lives, we need to measure our progress from time to time. Are we doing more for His kingdom than we were a year ago? Are we growing in the faith?

Bible: Studying God's word is what hones our craft and helps us with our skills as a Christian. The Bible is our handbook and it is full of instructions to improve our Christian lives and our relationship with the Lord.

Dear Lord, May the Holy Spirit work in me so that I might better utilize the tools You provide to become a better workman that helps build and expand Your kingdom. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Amen