The Wrong Tool

Psalm 81

"..open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels. Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! "

(v.10-13)

We all seek two things in life; we want to belong and we want to feel meaningful. This is what drives us to do the things we do and the ways we we choose to do it. Meaningfulness is achieved when the structure and function are aligned with each other.

Let’s consider the use of tools. The hammer is designed to drive a nail into wood. A screwdriver is designed to turn screws. Even though a hammer may be used as a screwdriver or a screwdriver may be used as a hammer, they are far less effective than using the right tool for the right job. When the hammer is used as a screwdriver it is far less meaningful, but when it is found to be the most effective tool to drive nails it becomes “meaningful” for the job. Meaningfulness can then be ascribed to the structure (or design) which fulfills the function for which it was designed. What our passage tells is that we are designed to be in fellowship with God. But when we neglect the best application of who we are in God, we will never achieve the ultimate purpose for which we can serve. When we seek only our own pleasures and ambitions without God, we allow our imagined function to be assigned to our own design. A hammer can be used as a screwdriver, though it will not be the most meaningful use. If we are to live meaningful lives, it will always begin with remembering whose we are and how we our given skills can be applied best. If we begin from any other foundation outside of Gods ways, we can never hope to achieve our most meaningful lives. Have a meaningful day, my friends.