The tools in the toolbox gathered for a meeting to determine which tool must be discarded. Bro. Hammer
served as the chairperson. The other members of the tool belt informed him that he must leave, because he
was just too noisy. Bro. Hammer answered his accusers saying, “If I must leave this carpenter’s shop, then
Bro. Pencil must go, too. He’s insignificant and leaves a small mark.”
Bro. Pencil arose and said, “All right, but Sis. Screwdriver must go also. You have to turn her around and
around and around to get anywhere with her.”
Sis. Screwdriver turned to the other tools in the belt and said, “If you
wish, I will go, but Bro. Plane must leave, too. All his work is on the
surface; there’s no depth to what he does.”
To this, Bro. Plane leveled his terse reply, “Well, then, Bro. Saw will
have to depart, too. The changes he proposes always cut too deep.” Bro.
Saw protested loudly, saying, “Sis. Ruler will have to withdraw from the
toolbox if I leave, for she’s always measuring other folks as though she
were the only one who is right.”
Sis. Ruler then surveyed the group and said, “Sis. Sandpaper doesn’t
belong here either. She’s rougher than she ought to be and is always
rubbing people the wrong way.”
Amid the discussion, the Carpenter of Nazareth walked in to perform His day’s work. He put on His tool belt
and went to the workbench to make a pulpit. He employed ruler, saw, plane, hammer, pencil, screwdriver,
sandpaper and other tools, too. When the day’s work was over, the pulpit was finished, and the Carpenter
went home. All the accusations against each of these tools were true, yet the Carpenter used every one of
them to perfection. No matter which tool He used, no other tool could have performed that task better.
Thought to remember: We are all tools in Jesus’ toolbox. Each of us has a purpose, ability, and a task to
perform.
—Author Unknown