Greetings Friends:
PLEASE READ: Ecclesiastes 10:10
“If the ax is not sharp and he does not make it sharp, then he must use more strength. Wisdom helps one to do well” (NLV).
The past couple of days I’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic and for some reason I recalled cutting the grass when I was a boy. Back then we did not have a motorized lawn mower. Dad used to have one of those manual lawn mowers which needed to be pushed by hand. 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 that the key was keeping 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 risk becoming frustrated about how difficult the job was. Yet, when I listened to my fathers instructions, used the tools he had given me, the work was enjoyable, and the results satisfying.
I see a valuable spiritual lesson in that real story from my life. We must keep our spiritual blades sharp at all times. Using dull spiritual blades individually and corporately leads to frustration, increased difficulty, robs us of the joy of serving, and will not produce fruit for the Kingdom of God.
Our gracious God has given us the tools to keep our spiritual “blades” sharp.
- He has invited us to have an active prayer life allowing us to communicate with God on a daily basis.
- We’re invited to participate in worship consistently where we can sing, pray, be stretched, challenged, and encouraged with our sisters and brothers in Christ.
- God invites us to daily reading and meditation upon the Holy Scriptures.
- God invites us to participate in small group study where we can keep sharp.
- These along with faithful service allows us to keep our spiritual blades sharp.
Friends, please don’t allow your spiritual blades to become dull. Why keep trying to cut through the concerns of life with dull blades? Let’s keep our spiritual blades sharp; there is too much at stake to be serving with dull blades.
Shalom,
Pastor Jim= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
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