Christians and Hammers

I had to use the hammer today to take something down. As I was pulling out each nail I was careful not to damage the wall in our living room. It's easy to do when you're pulling out a nail in drywall. I learned that lesson the hard way when I was still a brand new homeowner.

Sometimes my mind wonders as I'm doing simple little chores like that. Lately I've been thinking about a trial that has gotten a lot of national media attention. It seems the outcome that everyone had been expecting ended up going the other way, and everyone I've talked to has reacted with a lot of shock and disappointment. I was shocked myself to be honest. I thought for sure I knew what the outcome would be. I even found myself participating in some "hateful" conversations with some people I work with about what "should have happened" with the trial.

That being said, I want to get back to my epiphany if I may.

I think Christians are like hammers.

Let me explain. Most standard hammers have two sides. The Head (used to drive nails with) and the Claw (used to pull nails out with). If you asked any "man on the street" what hammers are mostly used for I would be willing to bet that the most common answer would be, "to drive nails with of course."

But what about the other side?

What about the side used to PULL OUT the nails?

Isn't it just as useful?

And that's where I want to go with this and what I realized as I was pulling out the nails in my living room.

I think, sadly, that too many Christians have become known for and recognized as being the HEAD of the hammer and not the CLAW of it. Too many Christians are spending their time DRIVING current topics into the ground.

Instead of being the Claw and PULLING OUT a hurting persons wounds or mistakes we tend to focus on how we can tell them more and more how they are wrong or how they shouldn't do what they do. DRIVING the nail deeper and deeper instead of helping to heal and leading them to the one who can PULL OUT that area of their life.

Lately I've been the Head more than the Claw. I think it's time to focus a little more on the other side of the hammer and see what "nails" I can help pull out of someone elses life.

I pray you can do the same thing too if, like me, you've been DRIVING more lately than PULLING.

Thank you Jesus for being the original "other side of the hammer". Thank you for PULLING OUT all our mistakes on the cross!!