Our Hope: The Tools of the Trade

‘Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.’ Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NIV)

Most of us have to work.  We are not all born with a silver spoon in our mouths, and we don’t all have trust funds to spend as we wish.  Most of us don’t have wealthy relatives to support us, or who will leave us masses of money when they go on to their reward.  Most of us know the value of a day’s work.

My father started teaching me the value of work at a very tender age.  When he was working in the yard doing fall cleanup, or weeding of the various flower beds and gardens in our yard, he would have me pull my little red wagon along with him, and I would pick up the clumps of dirt and weeds, broken rocks, tree twigs and small branches, and load my wagon up to the hilt.  It made me feel proud to help my daddy.  And it was like all the things in the wagon were treasures.  At least they were until Daddy helped me to dump everything out!

I trained my children to work as well.  Not heavy, back-breaking work.  But all three learned how to cut the grass, and trim up the bushes.  They were taught to clean their rooms, the one task that was the hardest to enforce!  They even learned how to wash their clothes when they were a bit older.  And, miraculously, how to put them away!

To do work, we need tools.  I had my wagon.  Daddy had his mower, and various gardening tools.  I had a sweeper, a washer, a clothesline, and a lawnmower.  I work in an office, so I need a computer, a desk, and paper.  Every job requires a tool.

When we work, no matter what our job is, no matter how much we are paid, we should do it as if we were doing it for the Lord.  He is our source, the provider of our work.  It is His people we often do the work for.  If we perform all of our work as if we are presenting it directly to Him, we will take extraordinary measures to do the best job we possibly can.  And again, that requires tools.  Tools of the trade.

As Christians, our most effective tools come from God’s Word.  He teaches us all we need to know to live our lives.  He gives us the Ten Commandments as guidelines for our moral compass; the Psalms for beauty and song;  the Proverbs, for wisdom and to teach us to think and consider the issues we face.  He gives us Hero’s of the Faith, whose example shows us what an ordinary man or woman can accomplish when they serve and trust God.  He gives us His Son, Jesus Christ, who offers salvation, grace, mercy.  He gives us love.

Anything worth doing requires the proper tools.  There is no greater set of tools of the trade than the Bible, other than God Himself.  He is Our Hope, and He is the only Tool we will ever need for work that is of  true worth.

‘May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.’ Psalm  90:17 (NIV)

Blessings!