FOR WE ARE LABOURERS TOGETHER WITH GOD

1 Corinthians 3:9

One morning long before the Carpenter was to appear in His shop, the Carpenter's tools decided that they needed to have a conference to settle some of the problems which were steadily arising in their work. The first tool called to take the chair was Brother Hammer. The meeting informed him that he was to leave because he was too noisy with his work. "Bu'" he said, "if I am to leave this carpenter shop, Brother Gimlet must go too, he is so insignificant that he makes very little impression."

Little Brother Gimlet rose to his feet and said, "All right, but Brother Screw must go also; you have to turn him around and around again and again to get him anywhere."

Brother Screw then said, "If you wish, I will go, but Brother Plane must leave as well; all his work is on the surface; there is no depth to it!"

To this, Brother Plane replied, "Well, Brother Rule will have to withdraw, if I do, for his always measuring other folks as though he were the only one who is right!"

Brother Rule then complained against Brother Sandpaper, and said, "I just don't care, he is rougher than he ought to be, and he is always rubbing people the wrong way!"

In the midst of this discussion, the Carpenter of Nazareth walked in - earlier than they expected. He had come to perform His day's work. He first put on His apron and then went over to the bench to make a pulpit. He employed the screw, the gimlet, the sandpaper, the saw, the hammer, the plane, and all the other tools. After the day's work was over and the pulpit was finished, Brother Saw arose and said, "Brethen, I perceive that all of us are labourers together with God!"