Savage2Saint Sobriety August 4, 2025

¹¹ Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. ¹² Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. - Ephesians 4:11-12 (NLT).

What kind of tools does your work require? A painter needs a paintbrush, a surgeon needs a scalpel, and a farmer needs a plow. As a construction worker, I depend on my tools. It would be impossible for me to do my work without them. Ask any carpenter, mechanic, or welder and you'll hear the same. In order to get the job done, we have to be equipped with the right tools. Most people who depend on their tools to make a living have invested a lot of money in the purchasing, protection, and maintenance of their tools. Some have gone to school to get trained in their use, while some have had on the job training. Regardless, the work gets done when we have our tools.

God depends on His tools, too. As the acting hands and feet of Jesus, we make up the body of Christ. The Church. The ones equipped to do God's work. So, in essence, we are God's tools. And just like the tools in our toolbox, we're paid for. The blood of Jesus paid the ultimate price for every single one of us. The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:20, "for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body." (NLT). He's invested in His tools, He protects His tools, and He maintains His tools. Why? Because He needs His tools to get His work done here on earth.

Are you making yourself available to use? Or are you hiding in the toolbox and getting rusty? God doesn't make anyone work against their will. You have to be willing to get out of the toolbox. You have to be willing to be used. When placed in the loving care of a skilled Creator, you can do anything. "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:13 (NLT). God will keep you razor-sharp and running like a well-oiled machine when you ask Him to use you. Who knows? Maybe you'll be the next apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher that God uses in His work to build up the church. God Bless!