I’m not much of a handyman. But in the past several months I have become much more of one.
Over the years, I have done a variety of repairs and handyman projects around the house. But these projects often seem to take 2-3x the time they should, and not end up as polished as I want.
One of the problems, quite frankly, has been that I have not always had the proper tools to do the job I was attempting.
When we began doing repairs on our house a few months ago, I began intentionally purchasing the proper tools for the jobs I was doing. If I didn’t have it, I went to the store and bought it.
I still don’t consider myself the best handyman. I am improving. But I have found repeatedly that simply having and using the right tool for the job makes things possible – and so much easier – than simply trying to get by with what I have.
As I have considered this lesson learned, I find application points to other areas of life. First, I wonder if sometimes our frustration in life in regards to jobs and careers comes because our specific toolset is not matched for the job we are determined to complete. Instead of trying to be a Phillips when the job requires a flat-headed screwdriver, maybe we should step back and ask God to use us where we best first.
Second, in the local church environment people sometimes despair that they don’t have the people they need to do effective ministry. Yet I believe that God’s church is made of many members, not one (1 Corinthians 12:14), and that God puts the members in the body the way he wants (1 Corinthians 12:18).
Therefore, I would ask 1) are we expecting different ones to do work for which God has not equipped them, 2) have we failed to discover individuals who are equipped to do the work, and 3) should we consider changing our methods of ministry to better fit our church’s toolset so that we can be effective in sharing the Gospel?