This really happened.  While attending Oral Roberts University, God provided for my family’s income by getting me a job as a carpenter; something I knew nothing about.  Out of that experience came a lot of wisdom and knowledge that still resonates in my life today.

Becoming a carpenter was one of the greatest blessings in my life.  I learned the value of good planning, precise measurements, and hard work.  Carpentry gave me a chance to learn new skills, work with my hands, and experience a sense of accomplishment.  I also learned the value of “tools” and how they can make construction easy or hard. 
 
Whether we are building a house or a ministry, tools make a “big” difference.  With the great supply of power tools today, why would anyone want to use a “hand saw” to build a house?  But the truth is; some people do.  I able baffled by ministry leaders who want to build contemporary ministries, but use old traditional tools instead of modern “power” tools.

The power tools for building ministry today are new technology:  computers, multimedia, and the internet.  These power tools make building a fun and enjoyable task.  These are the tools that young people are “growing up with” right now!  New technology is a comfortable fit in their hands, and some are extremely gifted “craftsmen."

As ministry leaders we would be wise in exploring the possibility of using young people and their new tools in building up ministry in our community.  After all, they will eventually be the ones who will carry on construction after we’re gone.  So, why not let them start serving along side seasoned craftsman who are willing to mentor them; and perhaps in the process, learn the value of new “power tools.”

I still use my carpentry skills today; in fact, last week I completed (along with the help of our family) building a beautiful deck on the back of my daughter’s house.  I also got a chance to borrow some new “power tools” from a friend.  Work went very well, and we all learned new skills.  Now we spend a lot of time enjoying her deck and admiring our hard work.

Perhaps all of us should pray this simple prayer, “God, make me more like Jesus by making me a spiritual ‘carpenter’ that understands the value of good tools, especially in building good ministry.”