Is your Christian life a burden? Shouldn’t it be a Joy to follow and serve Christ?!? If life is a burden, maybe you need to “sharpen your blades” and re-connect with God. Pastor Jim wrote the following article for the October issue of Steeple Notes (our church newsletter)…
As I was watching the lawn service caring for the grounds at the church a couple of days ago, I began to think back when I was cutting the grass when I was a boy. Back then, our family did not have a motorized lawn mower . Dad use to have one of those manual lawn mowers which needed to be pushed by and. Some of you reading this may remember those “antiques.” Quite frankly, cutting the small patch of grass we called a back yard in Delanco was not a big deal IF I did what Dad had instructed. You see, he told me repeatedly to keep the blades sharp. He even gave me the files and showed me how to sharpen the blades.
I learned very quickly that if I let the blades become dull, I had to work harder , perspire more, and become frustrated about how difficult the job was. Yet, as I listened to my father’s instructions, used the tools he had given me, the work was enjoyable, and the results made me proud.
I see a valuable spiritual lesson in that real story from my childhood. We must keep our spiritual blades sharp at all times. I fear that too many well intentioned disciples of Christ try to serve God and the church, but are using spiritual blades which have become dull. Using dull spiritual blades can lead to frustration, increased difficulty, rob us of the joy of serving, and will not produce lasting fruit for the Church.
IS IT TIME TO SHARPEN YOUR SPIRITUAL BLADES?
God provides us with the tools to keep our blades sharp. God has invited us to have an active prayer life, communicating with God at least on a daily basis, hopefully several times a day and participating in worship consistently where we can sing, pray, be stretched, challenged, encouraged, and enjoy fellowship with our sisters and brothers in Christ.
- Daily reading and meditation upon the Holy Scriptures keeps our blades sharp.
(Check out the Daily Bible Reading Plans or the Daily Devotionals that are on this website). - Being active in a small group is a great way to keep ones spiritual blades sharp as is serving God in any number of ways through the church and community.
(Check out our latest selections of Small Groups) - Being generous and increasing the use of our time, talents, and gifts to the church is yet another way to keep those spiritual blades sharp!
If we would be serious about using the tools God has given us to keep our spiritual blades sharp, perhaps we would experience more joy in serving God, we would see our hunger for God and the things of God increasing, and we would be bearing fruit in our lives and churches for God.
Friends, we are all busy, but do we allow our busy lives to keep us from keeping our spiritual blades sharp? Why do we keep trying to cut through the concerns of life and the ministries of our churches with dull spiritual blades? Let’s begin to sharpen the blades once again! Let us commit to making God and the things of God the priority of our life and the Church.
There is too much at stake to serve with dull blades.
Shalom!
Pastor Jim
+ + + + + +
For more Pastor’s Ponderings, click this button: Pastor’s Ponderings
