Successful Living: Like a wrench

To hear that someone uses their faith like a “mechanic uses a wrench” was challenging to comprehend. After all, a mechanic is very deliberate with a wrench. They must know which size to use, how much torque to apply, when to turn left and when to turn right. Mechanic work is very precise. Can faith possibly be the same way?

I decided to accept it as a challenge, to use faith in a very deliberate and precise manner. My next step was to figure out how that was going to happen. For the sake of discussion, I’ll use a mechanic’s logic to work through the process.

First, before a mechanic uses a tool, he has to have a reason to use his wrench. Maybe he’s going to work on a car or assemble a piece of furniture. Maybe it’s to repair something that’s broken or replace a worn-out part. A mechanic may have a wide assortment of wrenches, but he never pulls one out without a reason.

The same goes for us, we need a purpose for using our faith. Although, legitimately, we should be using it all the time, “the just shall live by faith” (reference Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38).

But for illustrative purposes, let’s assume we need a reason to exercise faith. And I don’t mind using myself as an example.

For me it was a credit card bill. For you it may be an injury, an illness, an addiction, or whatever. Allow me to explain my situation. I had charged more than I normally do in the month of January and the bill was due at the beginning of March.

On a side note, some of you may be wondering why I use a credit card at all. Let me explain my reasoning. I use a credit card for the cash back. I’ll put most of my monthly expenditures on one or two credit cards and then pay the balance each month. When November rolls around, I tell my wife to use that money for Christmas shopping. My personal policy has always been, if I can’t pay the credit card off in any one month, then it’s time to cut it up and switch back to cash purchases only. You see, I’ve been in credit card debt before and it is one of the most debilitating forms of debt with its easy access and extremely high interest rates.

Anyway, I decided I wanted to use my faith like a mechanic, too. First, like a mechanic choosing a very specific wrench, I found a very specific verse.

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 4:19).

This would be the word I would wield like a sword (reference Ephesians 6:17) anytime the devil would try to cast doubt my way.

My challenge was to stop worrying about it and stay in faith.

If the devil can get you to worry and wring your hands, pretty soon he’ll have you saying, “What am I going to do?”

As if your ability alone could get you out of your situation. If you’re anything like me, it was your decisions that put you into that situation.

Remember, Jesus instructed us, “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well,” (Matthew 6:31-33 (NIV]).

Did you catch how He said that?

“So do not worry, saying …”

If the devil can get you to spend time dwelling on your problem, instead of God’s promise, you’ll speak doubt and unbelief instead of the Word of God. The devil is pressuring you to speak negativity, while the Spirit is encouraging you to speak the promise.

It’s just like a bolt that has been applied with too much torque. You push and pull, but it doesn’t seem like it’s budging. However, once enough pressure is applied, the bolt will break free.

If you can keep your mouth on the promises of God and tune out the other voices, faith will work. Your situation will change.

What about the credit card bill, you may be wondering? I kept Philippians 4:19 coming out of my mouth, even when I couldn’t see any way for the bill to get paid. Then the Lord told me to file my income taxes. I had been putting it off, dreading it, if I am completely honest, since I had to pay additional taxes last year. Nevertheless, at thou word, oh Lord. Come to find out, I was getting a refund this year after all. However, it was two weeks until the credit card bill was due, and the IRS says it may take four to six weeks to get a return. Lo and behold, I got it in nine days and it was more than enough to pay the credit card bill.

During the process, I kept thinking, I’m going to purpose to use my faith like a mechanic uses a wrench. What do you know, a wrench isn’t that hard to use. And neither is faith.