The speech titled I HAVE A DREAM by Martin Luther King Jnr. does not only represent the best of his speeches, but has also been adjudged the best overall in a hundred years. In it he portrayed the hopes and aspirations of many generations, inspiring the American people towards equity and justice, regardless of creed or colour. I HAVE A DREAM of Martin Luther will have its parallel in Winston Churchill’s GIVE US THE TOOL, a broadcast that he gave on February 9, 1941. As an ominous sign hung over Britain after Hitler had pummelled France and other countries in Europe to submission, Churchill gave a rousing speech that would eventually turn the tide. Before concluding, he sent a message to President Roosevelt of United States of America where the following lines became famous: “We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire. Neither the sudden shock of battle, nor the long-drawn trials of vigilance and exertion will wear us down. Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.”
“When God sends, He equips. Believers have what it takes to excel in all we lay our hands to. All we need do is cast off the cloak of laziness and other excuses and be valiant for God.”
An important lesson for today is that when God sends, He equips. Jesus had a task for His followers – the job of world evangelization. However, the disciples did not have to ask Him for tools. He actually commanded them to tarry in Jerusalem for necessary equipping before launching out on their assignment. As the day of Pentecost rolled in, the Holy Spirit was given to those who waited. The Holy Spirit is still with us. We have all the ‘’tools’’ we need to do the job. If the job is undone it will not be for absence of tools; it would be for our failure to appropriate all that God has made available. Believers have what it takes to excel in all we lay our hands to. All we need do is cast off the cloak of laziness and other excuses and be valiant for God.