“Hey neighbor! Can I borrow that brand new table saw sitting in your garage?  It sure is a nice one and I could really use something like that to finish that bookshelf for my wife.”

Now this might sound familiar if you live next to “the neighbor” who always needs to use something you own and usually doesn’t return it for months.  This could also be a situation where you live next to a very good friend and have no problem with borrowing him any tool in your garage.

The real question here is not how you gauge your neighbors, but rather how we as men determine friendships based on the tools we borrow out of our garage.  For some men it might be as simple as “I don’t borrow out my tools for anyone” or it might be that “I have an extra set of tools just for lending purposes.”

Whatever our tool set situation, we still tend to hesitate for just that quick moment to determine if or at what level I plan to borrow out my tools.  For many men their tool sets are a passage of manhood that says to the world that “I am a man and I own my own set of tools!”  For those who do not own them, but constantly borrow them, this connection is not made, thus the extended stay for other’s tools at their house.

The real question must now be answered; do I gauge my friends by the tools that I borrow or do not borrow them?  I say that the answer is yes, because if they are our friends we know them and know about when we expect to see the tools again.

However, there is also the man who cares not about the tools, but the ability of their friend to complete their project and then it can be said; “because of my set of tools, my friend built that.”  This where the story of Jesus Christ comes in.  “But Jesus did not have a set of tools” you say?

He gave His disciples a Tape Measure; I John 4:1-3; Beloved, do not believe every spirit…which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.”

He gave them a Compass; John 8:14 -19; Jesus answered and said to them…Jesus answered. “You neither Me nor My Father… If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.”

He gave them a set of Keys; John 8:31-32; Then Jesus said to those…and the truth shall make you free.”

He gave them a Broom; Matthew 21: 12 -13; Then Jesus went into the temple of God…but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’

So as we can see, Jesus gave us many tools and without regard to each of us as a friend, neighbor or other.  He sets the perfect example of not only leadership and sacrifice, but one also of supreme trust.  He knew that He would leave this world behind in our care.  Now the question we must ask ourselves is this; in what condition will the tools we were borrowed be returned in?