The Sharpest Tool?

“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes an orchestra to play it.” ~ H.E. Luccock, Homiletics professor, Yale Divinity School and author (1885-1960)


Ryan invited his friends over to “talk shop”. They were all gamers. "Game speak" was their language and they loved talking the techno talk. Ryan, Marshal, Efran and Chad were deeply engrossed in discussion about “Marston”, the seemingly ambivalent, former outlaw hero of “Red Dead Redemption,” when Ryan’s father wandered into the kitchen. He quietly opened the refrigerator door, extracted the ice tea pitcher and poured himself a glass. Leaning against the granite counter top, Ryan’s dad sipped his tea, casually listening to the animated discussion.

Chad, who had been holding forth on a particular point, with which no one was agreeing, suddenly turned to the father; “What do you think of ‘Red Dead Redemption’ Mr. Carper?” he asked suddenly. Ryan’s dad put his glass down and considered the question for a moment. “I really don’t understand what you’re talking about,” he responded finally. “But then again, I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed either,” he concluded, taking another sip of tea. Chad thought for a moment. “It really doesn’t matter if you’re the sharpest tool in the shed,” replied Chad…“As long as you’re the hammer!”

A well stocked tool box holds many tools for many purposes: measuring, cutting, squaring, marking, attaching, and even clamping (holding things together). It would be nearly impossible to build a structure with only one tool. Likewise it is impossible to build a world with people who all share the same skill (gift) or skill set (set of gifts). We are all occupants of God’s tool box, each gifted with our own set of unique skills, each of us with a purpose in this world; a purpose which is blended with the purposes of others.

Unfortunately, being “gifted” has come to be confused with being superior: possessing skills or skill levels greater than those of others, particularly in the areas of intelligence and sports. A well meaning elementary school psychologist once remarked she was very sorry our our child wasn’t gifted. Rather our child was “highly socialized with an above average vocabulary.” “Aren’t those gifts too?” my wife asked innocently.

Every one of us is uniquely gifted and, as such we are all necessary to this world. Yet, we seek affiliation rather than cooperation. When we build organizations, when we create committees, even when we choose our friends we seek “belonging” by gravitating to those who share similar skills or interests. When choosing friends this simply guarantees we will never be challenged and life will be very “same old, same old,” but with organizations it can be a road to ruin.

If a committee is made up of “planners” nothing will ever be implemented. If it is comprised of creative types, great ideas will be proposed, but no plan of action will ever be determined. A committee of implementers will be constantly implementing, but with no plan of attack and without the likelihood of ever finishing. Unfortunately, such a situation will often feel very comfortable because everyone is happily doing what they like to do.

God gifted us all differently and uniquely for a reason. We are part of a much bigger plan and so are those around us. It may seem somewhat counter intuitive, but we can accomplish much more when we work with those who are gifted differently, who share different perspectives, than those whose gifts are similar to ours. A tool box filled with saws, or heaped with hammers, or comprised totally of tape measures is useless in the long run. Yet we tend to build our lives and our organizations around a desire for affiliation, rather than a need for diversity.

Either we have to be like everyone else or everyone else has to be like us. Not only is this approach ineffective, it is down right dull. Harmony comes from many different tones, not the same tone. God gifted us all differently with the intention of us working together, compensating for one another and, in so doing, building a better world. It matters not if we are a hammer, a saw or even a “square”.

Dear God: Remind me daily that “none of us is as smart as all of us” (Ken Blanchard).

“Synergy is the highest activity of life; it creates new untapped alternatives; it values and exploits the mental, emotional, and psychological differences between people.” ~Stephen Covey, author, speaker, professor, consultant (b1932)

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