Day 14 | Wednesday, September 3
Written by Lakepointe Elder
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
1 peter 4:10
a bag of tools – making a difference
When I was a boy, my dad taught me one of his favorite poems, “A Bag of Tools,” by R.L. Sharp. This wonderful poem, which is written in the back of my Bible, reads:
Isn’t it strange that princes and kings,
And clowns that caper in sawdust rings,
And common folk like you and me
Are builders of eternity?
To each is given a bag of tools,
A shapeless mass and a set of rules,
And each must make ere time has flown,
A stumbling block or a stepping stone.
I am in awe of the fact that God would choose to use ordinary people like you and me to help build His Kingdom. The Bible is filled with stories of God using ordinary people to do extraordinary things for His glory—David, Esther, Abraham & Sarah, Noah, Joseph, Rahab, Moses, Ruth, Gideon, Mary, Peter, and Paul, just to name a few. As Max Lucado says, “Common people in the hands of an uncommon God.”
We live in a broken, hurting world. God has called us to be salt and light; to faithfully administer His grace, mercy, and compassion to the broken, needy, lonely, discouraged, forgotten, and lost.
There is an important question that each Christ-follower must ask about their life. It is the same question that faced the priest, Levite and Good Samaritan in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10): “Am I going to do anything to make a difference in the life of this man (or woman) who is broken and hurting?”
The priest and Levite passed by the man. Only the Good Samaritan saw the beaten man as God did and showed him love, compassion and grace.
Luke 10:34 says:
“He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his donkey, took him to an inn, and took care of him.”
We can learn important lessons from the Good Samaritan about living a life of compassion and grace that makes a difference in the lives of others.
We must be willing to take risks, go be with people who are in need and love them as Jesus loves us. Our schedule must be oriented around people rather than activities. We must also understand that living a life of grace and compassion is going to cost us something. But boy is it worth it!
Matthew 25:40 says:
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” God wants to use us to make a difference in this world. You are here on this earth for a purpose. God is calling you right now; all you have to do is say, “Yes, Lord!”
What will you do with the bag of tools God has given you? Let’s commit to be eternity builders and stepping stones to Jesus in the lives of others.
After all, the best way we can store treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-21) is by investing in the people who are going there.
PRAY
Heavenly Father, I am in awe of you and your great love. I am humbled and honored that you would choose me to help build your Kingdom. Help me see others through your loving eyes.
Show me how to be more caring and compassionate. Use me as a conduit of your extraordinary grace to those who need it most.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
