The Right Tool

I can be a creature of habit. Certainly not with everything. But I do some things the same way because…well that is the way that I have always done them. I close the blinds in my windows in the same order every night. Now that I think about it, I open them in the same order as well. A force of habit that has embedded itself into my routines without much thought.

And guess what. There is nothing wrong with routine and order. For many of us, routines help center us. We have our morning routines and nighttime routines. We follow the same routes to work and back home. We take the same insulated cup with us on our outings. We buy the same brands of cereal. No need to switch up or try anything new, because what we do is working for us.

While I am a creature of habit, I have never turned down an opportunity for a new and exciting tool. See, I am a sucker for the right advertisement. When marketing execs get together in meetings, I am the ideal consumer. Once they show me that I NEED what they are selling, I am all in. Need an example? Okay, I love fresh pineapple. While I will eat it canned, the canned version does not hold a candle to the freshly sliced version. But I am not a fan of the prickly outside of the pineapple. I get discouraged when thinking about cutting away the outside and removing the core. So messy. So much work.

In step the marketing execs with a pineapple corer. The answer to my problem had been in existence for years. I just had never seen it advertised. I dare say that millions of folks worldwide knew about them, but I had no clue. I was using the tools that I was familiar with. They were getting the job done. I still had the opportunity to taste the fruit that I enjoyed, but I could have saved so much time if I had been using the right tool.

As a Christian, I have so many tools at my disposal. The Bible holds countless strategies and solutions that have the power to revolutionize the way that I live this life. Unfortunately, I have let my habits lock me into routines. And I waste time using tools that will work but end up costing me more time and more effort.

I am in a season of a shake-up and a shake-off. I have blown the dust off the cover of my Bible. I am being more intentional in my daily talks with God. I am asking for specific guidance each time an issue comes my way. I am waiting…even when I feel that an answer is needed immediately. I am doing my best to use the right tools. I pray that you find the strength to do it too. #wepreach