Hammers and Nails

"If all you have is a hammer, then all of your problems look like nails." My husband, Joe, shared this quote with me tonight. "What a neat quote!", I thought. I started brainstorming post ideas using this quote. I was telling Joe these ideas when he burst my bubble. He said, "Lori, you're looking at this quote as a good thing, but that's being like Peter in the Bible." Joe was referring to the story from John 18, when Jesus is arrested. Peter cuts off the ear of the high priest's servant and Jesus tells Peter to put his sword away.

I was looking at the quote about the hammer as good: "Go tackle your problems." I was looking at it as an independent person who likes to be in control. Joe pointing out the fact that the quote was meant as a negative quote really made me think! It made me think even more when he said he thought of me right when he heard that quote on the radio today! OUCH! I know. He's right. It does fit me perfectly.

Do you, like me, try to be the hammer and think of your problems as nails? Do you, like me, independent and controlling (with some stubbornness thrown in) try to do things yourself? I struggle with this daily - not always recognizing that it is a problem.....until my sweet hubby points it out to me :).

Being a Christian is putting our lives totally in God's control. It is giving up our own independent, controlling attitudes and becoming dependent on Him....allowing Him to mold us into what He wants us to be. It's giving up that "hammer and nails" attitude. Is it hard? Absolutely! Harder for some of us than for others of us.

I think of the little song, "He's Still Working on Me" (lyrics below). Yep. He's got a lot of work to do, but I'm grateful He's willing to not give up on me. Thank you, God!

Chorus:

He's still working on me

To make me what I need to be

It took him just a week to make the moon and stars

The sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars

How loving and patient He must be

'Cause He's still workin' on me

Repeat Chorus

There really ought to be a sign upon my heart

Don't judge him yet, there's an unfinished part

But I'll be better just according to His plan

Fashioned by the Master's loving hands

Repeat Chorus

In the mirror of His word

Reflections that I see

Makes me wonder why He never gave up on me

But He loves me as I am and helps me when I pray

Remember He's the potter; I'm the clay

Repeat Chorus (x2)

Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Isaiah 64:8