The Right Tool for the Job

Ephesians 4:7-8 (NKJV) "But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore He says: 'When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.'"

My dad was a carpenter. He loved all kinds of woodworking, like building custom cabinets. The smell of sawdust reminds me of him and the time I spent in his shop growing up. The sound of an electric saw also makes me very nostalgic. Dad genuinely felt God had gifted him that way, and he used it to bless people.

Well, being a carpenter, Dad had all kinds of tools. He told me one time, "It's tough being a carpenter." I asked why. He said, "Because every job requires another tool. It doesn't matter what job I'm on, I always realize there's another tool, another bit, or some other little thing I have to go get from the store." He said it would've been easier being a painter. You buy the paint, a ladder, and a couple of types of brushes - that's it. But not a carpenter. Dad had a whole shop full of tools. Some he rarely used, but he still kept them because certain jobs required certain tools.

I'd go to those job sites with him. We'd "work together," which meant he did most of the actual work while I ran back and forth getting his tools. The problem was I didn't know the names for any of his tools. So, I'd go back and forth. "The blue one." "This one is blue." "Not that one." I'd say, "I don't know which one you want." He'd go to the truck and pull out this tiny little thing and say, "This. This is what I needed." Then he'd go right back to work. We did that for about an hour before I started saying, "Dad, I'm hungry." ... It's so tough to get good help these days.

When Lydia and I were first married, I didn't have access to all of his tools. I just had a couple of things, and I didn't want to spend money on buying tools. I remember trying to hammer something with a stapler. It never worked, but I couldn't find my hammer. I had to learn that certain tools work for certain jobs.

As someone who teaches others God's Word, my toolbox is my library. Just like Dad, I have different books that I use for different messages that I prepare. Years after I have read a book, while I'm thinking and preparing a message, that book will come back to my mind; I'll locate it and find something useful to share from it.

This verse says that Jesus Christ "gave gifts to us". There are several passages from God's Word that tell us about those gifts:

1 Corinthians 12:8-10 - for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

Romans 12:6-8 - Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Ephesians 4:11 - He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

1 Corinthians 12:28 - And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.

1 Peter 4:9-10 - Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

1 Corinthians 7:7 - For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.

When you put all of these lists together, you will have a list that looks something like this:

22 Gifts in the Bible
 
I. SPEAKING Gifts
1) Apostle
2) Prophet
3) Evangelism
4) Pastor
5) Teacher
6) Exhortation
7) The Word of Wisdom
8) The Word of Knowledge
 
II. SERVING Gifts
1) Faith
2) Helps
3) Mercy
4) Hospitality
5) Giving
6) Discernment
7) Administration
8) Leadership
9) Chastity (or Singleness)
10) Serving or Ministry

III. SIGNIFYING Gifts
1) Gifts of Healings
2) Miracles
3) Gift of Tongues
4) Interpretation of Tongues
 
Old Testament extra: Craftsmanship (Ex 35:20-35; 36:1-3)

What if we looked at each person in the church as a useful, but different, tool? Here's what the passage is saying. Grace was given to each one of us, not the same grace, but according to the measure of Christ's gift. The size and shape of your gifting has been specifically chosen. Jesus gave you a gift for a purpose. The things that come naturally to you, the things that feel like nothing special, may be exactly what someone else needs most. That very well may be your special gift. Don't look at someone else's gifting and wish you had it. You have a tool selected by the Master, and you have been placed where you are for a specific reason or job. The Master Carpenter knows exactly which tool He needs for the next job. The question is: Do you know which tool you have?

Reflection Question: What tool/gift has Jesus personally given to you? What comes naturally to you? Do you know where He wants you to serve?

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for gifting me on purpose. Help me stop overlooking what comes naturally to me and start seeing it as a tool in Your hands. Show me where to use it for the good of Your church and to fulfill Your purposes in my life. In Jesus' Name, amen.