Having the Right Tools

It was 3 pm and I was hungry.  My breakfast was a distant memory and I had not had lunch, so I drove my truck into the McDonalds parking lot for a double cheeseburger, a hot fudge sundae, and an iced tea.  After I ate  my double cheeseburger, I prepared to eat the sundae only to discover that the clerk had given me a knife and fork to eat with and not a spoon.  So, there I was with a sundae to eat and not the right equipment to eat it. 

Any task is easier to accomplish if you have the right equipment.   It is also important that we have the right tools and equipment for our spiritual life.  In Ephesians 6: 11-18, we hear the apostle Paul speak about the tools or equipment have:  

11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.  Truth….righteousness…faith…the word of God…salvation…and prayer.  Those are important tools for us to use as disciples of Christ Jesus.  They are at our disposal.  Are you using them?

 

PRAYER

O God,  I thank you for the many tools and gifts you give us to grow in our love for you and our service to others.  Help to use them; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.