Instrument, not a Monument
I have two sets of fishing equipment and they are VERY different. One set contains fresh line, maintained reels, and specific lures for the season of the year. That set is ready to be used on the water to catch fish. That set serves as my “instrument” for fishing. The second set sits on a shelf in my office. That set contains reels that are decades old, lures that would be described as “vintage” on eBay, and they serve as “monument” for fishing. They remind me of happy memories, but they don’t work, don’t help me catch fish, and never leave that shelf. Which do you think brings me more joy and pleasure? The instrument, of course.
Our new Student Center will open this Wednesday night as an instrument, a tool that helps us to lead students to live and love like Jesus. The building looks nice, has interesting features, but it is an INSTRUMENT for ministry, not a MONUMENT for our church. It’s just steel, stone, and stucco without it’s INSTRUMENTAL purpose. I walked through it on Sunday night and it meant nothing to me, personally, until the students started walking through the doors. It was then that it became a joy and a pleasure because it was being used for a holy purpose.
So, while I could see it as a monument to a host of people like our site team and staff who really worked tirelessly to bring it from blueprint to footprint, while I could see it as a monument to the sacrifice of hundreds who gave funds to pay for it, while I could see it as a monument to the welders, painters, concrete haulers, engineers, designers, and technicians who built it, (and I am extremely thankful), it was constructed to be an INSTRUMENT in God’s hands through this local church family to help lead students to live and love like Jesus because they gave their lives to Jesus.
Today, students are inviting their friends from school to join them at this new place for a new adventure. New life stories will be written tomorrow night as those friends hear the Gospel and see it demonstrated by the students and adults who host. Will you pray with me, that this INSTRUMENT would be used effectively?
