For many years, I did my remodeling and woodworking projects with a small jigsaw that I’d bought back when I was still in school. Maybe it was stubbornness, maybe it was cheapness, maybe it was ignorance. Maybe I just never thought about it much. But after watching another guy from church use a much larger and more powerful reciprocating saw, none of the above was enough to keep me from upgrading my personal arsenal of woodcutting tools. When Sears put their industrial-model reciprocating saw on sale, I bought one.

My very next project required cutting a circular hole through a double layer of wood siding and hardwood boxing in order to run a vent. It would have taken me at least fifteen minutes with my little jigsaw. The new tool ripped through that two inches of wood in less than a minute! I could hardly believe it. I imagined all of the extra time and effort I’d spent over the years working with that under-sized, underpowered tool. I don’t think I’ve used that little jigsaw since then.

In an associated reflection, I know that I also struggled with life, trying to accomplish with human effort what cannot be accomplished with human effort; I tried to live the abundant life and to be godly without the power that God supplies through his Holy Spirit. It is not that the Christian walk does not involve individual exertion.

Indeed, as Peter writes, we must “make every effort” in our spiritual growth but instead of the feeble tools of self-improvement, we should lay hold of that power that enables us to “participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world.” Just as being godly requires God and being Christian requires Christ, so, too, being spiritual requires the Spirit.

H. Arnett
3-4-10