You know one of the benefits of having small kiddos around my house is all of the classic Disney movies I have at my disposal. My Thought this week center's around a couple scenes from the movie Lady and the Tramp. But first, let me ask you a question: have you ever been misunderstood? Have you ever been in a situation where you thought, she simply doesn't get me? I find myself there all the time. Our ideas in the workplace can often differ from other people's idea of how things should be done. It happens in companies across the country and around the world, it happens in churches and on committees dealing with anything from bake sales to cancer charities. Sometimes, we are misinterpreted. Communication begins to breakdown. People with differing ideas and opinions begin to submit their own ideas of how you should be doing your job. The tools and methods that they use can vary in as many ways as the people themselves. But, what is a tool? It is nothing more than a device used to carry out a particular function. The thing that makes all the difference, is how that tool is used. This brings me to Lady and the Tramp: remember from the movie Lady lives with Jim Dear and Darling. Well, they've just had a baby, and they leave on a little weekend getaway and leave the baby (and Lady) with Aunt Sarah, who has two Siamese cats--which are nothing more than trouble makers. No sooner than these cats arrive, than they are kicking over tables-trying to eat the goldfish (which Lady saves) and wrecking general havoc on the house. It's when they make a run for the nursery that things get messy...curtains come down, paintings get knocked off the walls, Lady barks loudly, and just as Aunt Sarah rounds the corner the cats (who are unscathed) drop to the floor meowing pitifully as though they are knocking on Death's door. Next scene: Lady is being fitted for a muzzle. Long story short, Lady runs away from Aunt Sarah all through town, where she meets up with the Tramp, who takes her to the zoo with the hopes of finding another animal to get the muzzle off. They find a busy beaver building a dam, and manage to convince him, the muzzle Lady is "modeling" is in fact a Log Hauler, designed to make dam building a breeze.
Stop right there.
What would Scripture say about this? For starters, the right tools are everything. God proves in His Word over and over again, that He alone can use anyone and anything for His divine purpose--whether we agree with Him or not. When someone or something has been set in motion by His will...good luck trying stop it. He put the entire fate of Christianity into the hands of "unschooled, ordinary men" (Acts 4:13) and look how far those simple fisherman have taken it. Five loaves and two fish, seemed like lunch for a young boy...but in the hands of Jesus, it fed thousands upon thousands (see all fours Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John for further reading). I want to talk to you today about a very simple tool: the shepherd's staff. In my hands, a shepherd's staff would be a fairly large stick. And knowing all of my coordination skills--I would most likely trip over it and hurt myself! But, when God ordains the use of something ordinary, like a shepherd's staff, extraordinarily amazing things will happen. Come with me to the book of Exodus. Here, we pick up with Moses as God is issuing the call for Moses to go back to Egypt to lead all of the Israelites out. Moses is not on board with the plan, yet. "Then the LORD said to him, 'What is that in your hand?' 'A staff,' he replied. The LORD said, 'Throw it on the ground.' Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake...Then the LORD said to him, 'Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.' So Moses reached out...and it turned back into a staff..." Exodus 4:2-4 If that wasn't enough, after all the plagues that were cast down upon Egypt--when the Israelites were finally allowed to leave, they get to the Red Sea. Two million people stood facing a massive body of water, and Pharaoh's army closing in fast behind them...do you think panic was setting in? Most likely. Then God tells Moses, "Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can walk through on dry ground." Exodus 14:16 How's that for power? Now, before we get too carried away with the power of the staff...remember the power was in God, and the faith of Moses. God knows we are visual people, and He used the staff as a way to grab the people's attention.
The staff was a tool. Nothing more. In my hands, it would have been useless. Oh, I probably could've moved a rock or two out of the way--but part the Red Sea--or even the pool in my backyard? No way! The muzzle that was used on Lady was supposed to keep her from harming the horrible cats, which it would have done, but when it was placed in the hands of the very busy beaver--it became an effective tool used for creative dam building. You see, tools are a funny thing, they can mean different things to different people. When ideas are presented to you, even ideas that may seem harmful or hurtful or that intimate you are not doing your job correctly, remember to place that particular tool into the hands of the Almighty. He alone can transform an ordinary hand tool into a spirit-filled power tool! Have a blessed day!
"Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today." Exodus 14:13
Comments