We know a man whose mechanical abilities (by his own admission) lie somewhere between non-existent and totally inept. His wife says that he should have been born “before the industrial revolution”. Ouch! On father’s day, his family gave him a new hammer. His happy reaction was: “With a big enough hammer, you can fix anything!” Lots could be said about that, but let me simply say “Please don’t let him work on my car!!”
I think that too often we may exhibit this ‘big hammer mentality’ when it comes to certain problems in the church. We sometimes think that hitting hard and quick will solve any problem. That’s simply not true.
To justify our actions we turn to passages like Galatians 2 where Paul, in dealing with the Judaizing teachers “gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour” (vs. 5). Or when he withstood Peter “to the face, because he was to be blamed” (vs. 11). Please understand that certain situations demand this kind of quick and decisive action. Paul was clearly in the right when he responded immediately and forcefully in these instances. There are times when we will need to imitate his conduct.
But, do not forget that Paul was also “gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children” (1 Thess. 2:7). And he taught us to be “kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32).
Sometimes we need to use the ‘big hammer’ approach. But other situations require patience and a longsuffering nature. May God give us wisdom to know the difference. Think!
– by Greg Gwin