Ever
hit your finger with a hammer and then lost nails doing it? I have! I have also lost movement due to smashed fingers; and
especially when I have worked outdoors in 25 below weather; where when you
smash your finger, you don't feel it in any way until that night when your body
is warming up; then you receive a divine impartation of revelation of our
circulatory system and how it works. So, it must be that the more experience you receive, eventually you stop hitting your finger. Oh, it is not as though you COULDN'T hit your finger, you just learn to NOT hit it! You learn this through time, experience, and insight into what damage can be caused by "carelessness". Pain teaches us a lot!
- Timing is everything in order to have full impact on the nail you are trying to drive.
- The whole point of hammering is to build while not ending up injured yourself, because tomorrow another challenge awaits you and you need full use of all who you are in order to complete the task.
- You have to temper your blows depending upon what your goal is for the task at hand. For example: driving 20d nails requires more power verses slightly hammering to shape a piece of soft copper.
You
have to choose the size of your hammer depending upon the task. For example you
would never use a 4 oz tack hammer to drive in steel stakes for concrete forms;
nor would you use a sledge hammer to drive in a 2d finish nail to attach a
hinge upon a jewelry box. - You have to control the direction, impact, of the hammer as it becomes an extension of your hand and even your mind.
- You have to learn what type and size of nail will best work; too large and damage will be done, too small and it will not accomplish your goal.
- To remove nails, sometimes calling in 'outside help' from a cat's-paw or crow-bar; not a hammer!.
- Whatever YOU do will decide on how long your project will be around, the longevity of it.
- You must have confidence in the hammers to do what they were created to do; not abusing them but using them as needed for EACH job.
- You are never too experienced to stop learning. Others more experienced than yourself make great mentors. Before you can be a master, you need to be a journeyman. Before you can be a journeyman, you need to be an apprentice.
- Finally, don’t stop just because you might be injured.
As
I pondered this, I realized that in many ways this has been the path that I
have had to learn to walk as a pastor as I have had learn to use the different “hammers”
or tools that God has given me for the task at hand; especially in preaching
and counseling:
1.)
Timing is everything in order to have full impact on the point you are trying
to make with people.
2.) The whole point of your ministry
is to build while not ending up injured
yourself, because tomorrow another challenge awaits you and you need full use
of all who you are in order to complete the task.
3.)
You learn to temper your blows depending upon what your goal is for the task at
hand. For example: an intervention requires more power verses slightly
exhorting to shape a soft heart.
4.) You learn to choose the size of
your message depending upon the task. For example you would never use just a 4
spiritual laws lesson to train up an apostle; nor would you use a lexical study
as a street witnessing tool
5.) You learn to control the
direction, impact, of the message as it becomes an extension of your heart,
soul and your mind; as well as hopefully representing the LORD!
6.) You learn what type and size of
message will best work; too large and damage will be done (boredom), too small
and it will not accomplish your goal.
7.) You learn to remove errors,
mistakes, stings, "flesh" from your messages sometimes calling in
'outside help' from elders or other pastors who can help you to "remove
the nails" as you ask for forgiveness.
8.) You learn that whatever YOU do
will decide on how long your message will be around, the longevity of it.
Although we ultimately leave it with the Holy Spirit, we can short-circuit our
own ministry by not thinking through of what kind of an impact what we say
could possibly have, depending on
how we deliver it to the people. Did it come through an anointing of the Holy
Spirit, or through our flesh?
9.) You learn confidence in the gifts
God has given you to do what they were created to do; not abusing them but
using them as needed for EACH job.
10.) You learn that you never are too
experienced to stop learning. Others more experienced than yourself make great
mentors. A major difference is that you can never be THE Master, you need to be
a journeyman. But, before you can be a journeyman, you need to be, and continue
to be a servant...
11.) You learn to not stop just
because you might be injured.
Keep
on "pounding away" at building the part of His Kingdom that He has
given you to do. Keep on going forward and watch out for those hammers!
