This past week, I have had several things to repair around the house. I have also been laboring to get a new hitch installed on my SUV so that I can attach a new product that I recently bought for our family vacation. For each job, I needed some tools. At one point I needed a hammer. At another point I needed a screwdriver. At one point I needed a drill. Each tool has a different application but they all work together to get the job done and they are all instruments to serve the one who is using them.
In the scriptures, the relationship of the Christian to the gospel is described in various ways. Paul writes that we are earthen vessels (2 Corinthians 4:7). He says that we are God’s instruments (Romans 6:13). He notes that we are God’s epistle (2 Corinthians 3:2). Christians are also described as the aroma of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:15). All of these things–earthen vessels, instruments, epistles, and aromas–all serve something else. The vessel serves that which it contains. The instrument serves the one who wields it. Epistles serve those who write them. And the aroma points back to that which created it. All of these things are conduits of something else and point back to something greater and better than self. As Christians, we must recognize that we are tools for the Master’s use as well.
Now we are not all the same tools. Just as there are different tools for different jobs, so also there are different Christians for different works. Not everyone can be a pulpit preacher. Not everyone is qualified to be an elder. Not everyone can serve as a song leader. However, the scriptures teach that everyone has something that they can do. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth regarding the members of the church,
For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body.
We are all dependent upon each other to get the work done that is before us. We have some great opportunities here at the Berryville church of Christ to get the Lord’s work done in the coming months. As mentioned in other areas of the bulletin, the elders have set before us some goals for our friends and family day as well as for our VBS. Now, let’s look at ourselves and say, “What can I do to help meet these goals.” No one individual among us can meet these goals by his or herself. We must work together to get this done. Someone mentioned that if each of us brings just one other person with us, we will make our goal. But let’s not stop at the goal. The goal is good to have to motivate us to work, but the goal is not a limiting factor. We can always invite more.
Tools are available for us when we need to use them, not just for one job, but for many. As God’s tools, let us recognize that God can use us for His glory. Let’s make it our personal goal to write down the names of at least ten people that we each individually know and invite them. Then, let’s make it our goal to do everything that we can to support the effort.