“A Good Machinist is a Good Mechanic” Part Two

I’m a firm believer that God is always speaking to us through many different avenues: His Word, His creation, the Holy Spirit, Ministers, and even regular people who cross our path.

I was 25 years old and working as a machinist at a large plastic injection mold company. There were all kinds of men who worked the night shift with me, and most of them were not Christians, but many were dear friends and most had a lot of life experience.

Con Kelly was one of them. He watched me setting up my lathe one night, as I adjusted gears to cut threads on a rod.

He smiled through his orange mustache and said, “A good machinist is a good mechanic. You’re a good mechanic.”

I looked at him puzzled. “What does that mean?” He went on to explain…

“Anybody can be shown how to run a machine. That’s easy. It’s harder to find someone who can machine precision parts to a thousandth of an inch. But the best machinists truly understand the mechanics of their machine. They learn to feel it, they know the sounds it should make, what the sounds mean, what the vibrations mean, and what’s going on inside the gearbox. They understand how to maintain the machine, and the mechanics of how it works…and all that while focusing on machining their part. A good machinist is a good mechanic…like you.”

Thank you, Con, for that valuable insight. I understood what he meant as a machinist and a mechanic. But years later God brought it back to my mind and spiritualized it, and I never forgot it:

“A good Christian is a thorough Christian. Anybody can be taught to read a Bible, go to church, and sing a hymn. It’s harder to find someone who wants to serve the Lord with their time and talent, striving to do well for His glory. But the rarest Christian is the one who serves the Lord and walks with Him so closely that they feel His every heartbeat. They know intimately what God hates, loves, and desires. They hate the spiritual plateau, but know the path always leads higher. They can discern clearly what is right and what is wrong based on Scripture, not feelings and emotions. They humbly serve and pursue Christ with a grateful heart of love. A good Christian is a thorough Christian.”

My friend, are you seeking to master your walk with the Master? Lately, the Lord has shown me areas where I have been slacking. He has shown me areas of spiritual plateau that should be areas of increasing elevation. The Lord has shown me breaches that need closing. A loving Father does such things for His children.

I encourage you to press on toward Christ, striving to thoroughly understand His will, His Word, and His work each and every day!