The culture we currently are living in is one like never before, where people have very strong opinions about everything and often no longer see the Bible as a guide for conduct. Unfortunately, as this trend has progressed, the church has also become more culturally correct than Biblically focused.

As we get closer and closer to the return of our Lord, He is looking for people willing to be used as a tool in His hand. The image you see with this post was inspired by a picture the Lord gave me in my Spirit as I was praying for a minister recently. I saw a picture of a red toolbox filled with many tools. Some were shiny and new, but some were well-worn from years of use.

So many people say they want to be used by God, but the sad truth is often the platform, the position, or a title is really what they are seeking. God is searching for those willing to be a “tool” in His hand to build His Kingdom and to destroy the enemy’s!

I think about a hammer when I need to build something, but the same tool can also be used to destroy or tear down a wall that is no longer needed. When the job calls for a wrench, a screwdriver will not work. God is asking for individuals willing to be used as He wills in these final days to see the great harvest that must happen before He returns. In the same way, He also needs people to be His tools to stop the deception and progress the enemy is making in our culture.

In 1 Corinthians 12, we read about many gifts available to the body of Christ. This is not an all-inclusive list. Many other passages speak about other gifts of the Spirit. These are distributed to believers as the Spirit wills. It is similar to being used as a tool in the Master’s hand.

There were well-worn tools in the toolbox, and these are important and will continue to be useful. However, there was special emphasis on what I saw with the new tools. If the church wants to be useful to shift the negative aspects of the culture, we have to be willing to be open to being used in new ways. Ways that might be controversial. Ways that will require moving outside of our comfort zones. Ways that may not make sense to those bound to religious traditions.

Too many rely on a well-worn tool that worked in the past, but this new culture may require new tools to break through the layers of deception. The enemy’s strategies have captivated hearts and minds, and it will take a specific tool in the Master’s hand to make the needed change.

Are you willing to be that tool? Are you open to the empowerment of the Spirit that is available to equip you to minister in a life-changing way to this lost culture?

Interestingly, the box I saw that held the tools was the color red. This color often represents love, passion, strength, and power. Red in the Bible is often associated with divine protection and deliverance as seen in the Passover or with the sacrificial death of Jesus on the Cross.

I think the significance of this is the importance of us staying “in Him” as we are used. We can never function in the gifts properly in our own strength. Our love, passion, strength, and power come as we allow the Spirit to empower us to do His work. It is the blood of Jesus that provided that power and it is Him working through us that will get the job done.