Calluses and Christianity

So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 2 Corinthians 4:12 (KJV)

Once my work-worn hands were brand-new, unused to labor. It seems a distant memory now—nearly faded.

Have you ever worked with your hands? At first there is no pain at all—only soreness from doing an unfamiliar task; then an irritating sensation, easily ignored. Irritation progresses to painful blisters, gingerly protected. Pain finally diminishes as rough spots form where the most friction occurred.

This is a natural progression, but there is a spiritual application for each of us. We must ask ourselves: What has caused our calluses? Have we applied our hands to worldly endeavors that mean nothing, numbing our wounded hearts and keeping us from hearing the Spirit’s voice?

The Lord will take our hands in His, if we allow it. When we do, His hands will feel strangely familiar. If we look closely we will see that His hands are covered with calluses, too. He is the Carpenter, and He encourages us to use His tools when we labor, so that we will no longer labor in vain. There may be some pain in the process, but as evidence of our worldly toil is stripped away, it will be replaced by calluses steeped in His compassion for others.

It is only through sacrifice that we truly learn to live in power.

Lord, help us extract ourselves from the worldliness that hardens our hearts, and help our hands to look like Yours as we do Your will.

© 2009, Katherine A. Fuller