Many, many, years ago there was a preacher who came to the United States from Scotland to pastor a church. During his first month, he heard there was going to be a deacons meeting to discuss church upkeep, so he attended. During the meeting the deacons were discussing the last business meeting about painting the church. Seems the church had agreed to place the matter in the hands of the deacons to find someone who would do the job.
One of the deacons spoke up. He said one of the local painters had said he would paint the church for $50.00 and they should just go ahead and use him. The preacher, believing that the job should be done for the least amount of money said: Did ye not find anyone else that would do the job cheaper? “No pastor, no one!” responded the chairman of the deacon board.
Being the frugal minded man he was he then said, “Well then, if ya canna find no one cheaper, I would say let me do it. Give me a tenth of the price asked and I will make sure this task gets done” Not wanting to offend their new pastor, hoping that he, through the wisdom of God, would show them how it was done so inexpensively, they agreed and gave the pastor $5.00.
The next day the pastor went to the General Mercantile and bought a 5 gallon can of white paint and a brush. He then proceeded to the church building and commenced painting. About a third of the way into his task he looked down into the paint can and realized he was running out of paint. Going down to the creek next to the church he then thinned out the remaining paint with water and commenced painting again. But again, about two thirds of they way to completing his task started running low on paint again. Undaunted, he again went to the creek and thinned out the remaining paint with water and commenced painting again.
All was going well as he put the last paint stroke on the church and finished the final third of the building. Going to the front of the church he looked with pride at the paint job. He walked around the church to the second third he painted. It looked a little thin but still covered the walls. When he looked at the final third of the church the job was all runny and the paint didn’t have the consistency to hold on. Quite actually it looked worse than it did before he painted.
Realizing immediately that his actions had made a mess and under conviction of the Holy Spirit for being so stingy, the man of God got on his knees in humble repentance and prayed this:
- Lord forgive me for using Your funds so terribly. If thou wilt but give me another chance to do right, I will most assuredly “REPAINT AND THIN NO MORE!!!”