The Technicians Story

The Technicians Story
By Mike Rule

There was a young man whose first love was repairing cars. It didn't matter the year, make or model of the vehicle; he just loved fixing them. Like the technicians he worked with, he had a copy of the most complete repair manual available in his toolbox at work. The author of the manual was an automotive technical expert who had complete knowledge of every car ever produced; and in his handbook, he gave detailed repair procedures for each automobile.

Some of the young man's fellow technicians spent countless hours searching the manual in an attempt to gain an understanding of the methods described in the book. Others spent large amounts of time memorizing portions of the text. This particular young fellow didn't spend as much time in the book as the rest of the employees. Usually he would take it home only once in a week. This was very exasperating to his co-workers, especially because he was an outstanding tech. Some employees hassled him about how little he studied, ridiculing him for not taking his job seriously and accusing him of being a shallow technician. In their minds, he couldn't know much as a technician because he didn't study his manual. To their way of thinking, all technicians who were serious about their craft had to study and know the handbook thoroughly if they expected to grow and improve.

One day a "rookie" technician began work at the shop. He tried hard to study, memorize and know the manual like the rest . In spite of his attempts, he eventually admitted his efforts weren't paying off.

Meanwhile, the "rookie" kept watching the outstanding technician who didn't seem to rely on the textbook. He could see that there was something different about him. No one else could fix things like he could. No one else had the tremendous joy and peace that this guy had. Feeling strangely drawn to the young man, one day the new technician asked, "Tell me, why is it that you seem to spend less time studying the manual and memorizing the procedures, yet you repair more vehicles faster than anyone else, and your rate of returns from dissatisfied customers is virtually zero?"

The young man smiled and answered, "No one around here has ever asked that before. I don't spend as much time in my manual as the rest of them around here do, and some ridicule me for that. They don't know my father is the author of that handbook they study. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, I have total access to the author. I don't turn to the book first; I turn to him. I rely totally on him for everything. That is the way he wants it to be because I am his child. When I have a question, I go to him. Sometimes he flat out answers my questions; other times he refers me to his book. But the point is, when you know the author, his book becomes secondary. I let him direct me to the sections of his book that he knows will be most beneficial to my situation. I don't want to be with a book when I can be sharing in the wonderful relationship that I have with my father and learn from him. Every guy here in this shop has the same opportunity, but you are the only one who has ever asked. You would not be a technician if you did not know about my father. Would you like to meet him for yourself and become dependent upon him like I am? He will accept anyone that I bring to him and offer to him the same privileges that I enjoy. He wants us to keep trusting and seeking him in all things, and he will do the work. Does that sound inviting to you?"

Jesus says, "You diligently study the scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have eternal life" (John 5:39-40).

While some believers today do not believe that the scripture itself gives eternal life, we unknowingly view God's Word as the "to do list" to maintain our salvation and to grow closer to Him. God's Word is not a list, but a standard or a mirror that we hold up to ourselves to see where we are in the process of being conformed into the image of Christ. When we understand that the role of the believer is not to work but to trust, then we understand Who really does the work. Our part is to trust; His part is to do the work. We are not to run to a book for help and comfort; we are to run to Him. He may lead us back to His Word to deliver that comfort and help, but our reliance is upon Him rather than on His Word.