If you were allowed to have only one tool, one piece of equipment in your toolbox, what would it be? I know…that is a no brainer…duct tape! Yes, it is called duct tape, but it originally was called “Duck Tape” when it was created for the military during WW2 (look it up..cool stuff.) You can use duct tape to fix just about anything. In fact, the astronauts used duct tape to help them get home on the Apollo 13 mission. So, why are we discussing duct tape? There are some lessons that duct tape can teach us concerning our faith. Duct tape is a great tool. It is designed to be strong, yet flexible. As Christians we are taught to have a strength about us; “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (1Corinthinas 16. 13) We typically think of acting like men as being strong, but we also need a softer side about us to be understanding with those that are weak. There is something to be said for a quiet strength.
Paul tells the church at Ephesus “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6.4). That word for discipline is translated as nurture in many of our versions and it means tutorage. It is hard to imagine a strong tutor; it’s more likely for us to see it as an understanding tutor, a father that is firm, yet loving. We need more people within our churches that are a good combination of strong and flexible. If we had that, we might be more accepted as a faith and more successful in our soul winning. When Jesus sent out his disciples, he said, “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10.16). We would do well if we would be more like duct tape in being strong yet flexible.
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