Lessons from hitting my finger with a Hammer!

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. 

   I find myself thinking; "eventually, you learn not to hit your finger..." and at this stage of my life, It is EXTREMELY rare for me to even miss the object (nail, etc.) to which my hammer is aimed at.


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!

 

Here are other things that I have learned about using a hammer:

• 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!