If I had to drive a nail into a board, I’d need a hammer. If I were assembling a bookshelf held together with screws, I’d reach for a screwdriver. If I wanted to determine the length of something, I’d use a tape measure.

A job’s nature and scope determine what tool is required.

If I had to tighten a screw in a pair of glasses, would a big screwdriver be the appropriate tool for the task? No, I would need a tiny screwdriver that would properly fit the head of the small screw. Many different kinds of tools exist because no single tool can do everything. Each tool has a specific, primary function.

The church is God’s toolbox, and each person in the church is a tool with a specific, primary function. God has a lot of jobs for us to do, and there’s not a single individual who can do everything. He has given each of us different gifts and talents (tools) to accomplish what needs to be done. These things can be used for his glory and the good of those around us — both inside and outside the church.

We must submit to God’s will and authority in the process of him using us as his tools. We also must do the same when it comes to him filling our toolboxes with the tools needed to fulfill his calling on our lives.

We’ve been designed in a special way for an intended purpose, and we need to figure out what that purpose is. We experience God’s best and have the most impact and influence in the world when we move in faith to find his plans and desires for us.

When it comes to this sort of thing, it’s easy to err in a couple of ways. First, we tend to be envious of others, thinking that they have better tools — in both quality and quantity — in their toolboxes than we do.

There’s also the tendency to go too far in the other direction — to think that we have more to offer than others do. We allow pride to exaggerate what we have to offer while downplaying what others have to give. Both extremes can be equally problematic and destructive, and they should be avoided.

It doesn’t matter what your role is, and it’s not important if it’s big or small compared to the roles of others. What does count is that when God has a job for you to do, you need to be right there in his toolbox, ready for him to use you.

You need to be prepared to give it your all without grumbling, complaining, or shirking your responsibilities. God provides your passions and missions, equips you to fulfill them, and has every right to determine how he utilizes you.

There’s both unity and diversity in the skills and abilities that God has provided to the church. First Corinthians 12:4-6 tells us, “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.”

Are you willing to be a tool in God’s toolbox, ready to be used as he sees fit? Are you willing to allow him to fill your toolbox as needed? Are you ready to surrender your will to his will so that he can utilize you to your fullest potential and as the greatest possible blessing?