Did you know that April is National Home Improvement Month? In honor of that, here’s an excerpt from my new book, God Glimpses from the Toolbox: Living as Men of Character and Strength (BroadStreet Publishing). I hope it will give you some inspiration for those times when you’re revamping your home . . . and your heart.
“What are we going to cook first? Steaks? Mile-high burgers? Hot dogs with all the trimmings?” Whoops of excitement filled the air as Keith asked those questions. He and his buddies were out on his deck for a momentous occasion.
Keith had owned a cheap grill, but he’d just gotten the mack daddy of all grills as his Father’s Day gift. This baby was sweet! Gleaming stainless steel. An extra-large cooking surface. Two side burners. Hooks for hanging grill tools. A halogen light. It even had a smoker box to flavor the meat.
Keith felt almost as if he needed a moment of silence. He couldn’t wait for that first bite of awesomeness from his grill, but there was one small obstacle—it wasn’t assembled. That’s where his buddies came in.
Using a utility knife, they slit the box, dumping the grill pieces on the deck. They worked as a team, assembling the parts, fitting nuts and bolts together, tightening everything with their wrenches and other tools until a shiny grill appeared before their eyes.
There was a problem, however. It didn’t work. And there were several leftover parts. The men tried fitting the extra pieces into place, but they didn’t fit right, and the grill still didn’t work.
Then one of the guys did something unusual. Something most men avoid at all costs. He picked up the manual and read the instructions. “I think I see the problem. There’s a piece we were supposed to install when we started assembling the grill. We’re going to have to take most of the grill apart and go back and do that. It’s the only way we can fix the problem.”
Everyone groaned. Dinner would be delayed—because they hadn’t followed the instructions. Man, if they’d only read the manual, they’d already be filling their plates with thick slabs of steak. They’d messed up for sure.
But isn’t that exactly what we do spiritually? God has sent us an instruction manual in His Word. It tells us exactly what to do, what to avoid, and who will cause us problems, and it even spells out the consequences for not following His instructions.
Then we go out following our own plans—and we mess up. We ruin reputations. We go places and look at things we shouldn’t. We do stupid things.
All of a sudden, we realize our life isn’t going right, that there are problems. Sometimes we even try to fix those situations ourselves—and often cause even more heartache and difficulties.
Pull out God’s instruction manual. Read the directions and make the necessary repairs. Spare your loved ones the heartache of a man who failed God’s plan for his life.
The solution is so simple: just follow the instructions.
Used with permission from BroadStreet Publishing.
