Lessons from a Lumberjack
I want to glisten with an edge that can dissect difficulties with wisdom and faith.
There was a rookie lumberjack who started out determined to chop down more trees than anyone else. He made it his goal to beat his company’s average tree count of 15 trees a day.
On his very first day, he felled 10 trees. He said to himself, “That’s pretty good for my first day.” But on the second day, he chopped down 10 again. No progress at all. Then on the third day, he managed only seven! Now he was puzzled, but not discouraged yet. He simply doubled his efforts the next day. Imagine to his surprise when he finished with only five trees down!
Every day it got worse – no matter how hard or often he swung the ax, when each day ended, he had felled fewer trees than the day before.
After two weeks of discouragement, the young man approached a grizzled old veteran. “I don’t understand what’s going on. I work hard every day, swinging my ax from dawn to dusk, but I keep doing worse and worse. What can I be doing wrong?”
“Young fella,” the old man replied after a long pause, “I can see them calluses on your hands and bigger muscles in your arms, to prove you been swingin’ your ax. But let me ask you somethin’ – When was the last time you sharpened your ax?”
How about you? Is the daily grind dulling your ax of faith? your sword of God’s Word that you know, recall, and apply to decisions? your sharp understanding of how God is involved in world events? your love of Jesus pinpointed at the right priorities?
It’s time to stop swinging so fervently and sharpen up! Go get your Bible and get back on track reading it. Check out the new lineup of Bible studies at your church. Memorize (again) your favorite Bible passages. In doing so you’ll find that the dullness begins to get an edge. The Spirit works and works to polish up your faith. And the sword of Lord in your hand slices through the most difficult problems.
PRAYER: It’s easy, Lord, for my faith to grow dull. I put it to use actively every day but I’m not as sharp as I used to be. I need your Spirit to reshape and refine. I want to glisten with an edge that can dissect difficulties with wisdom and faith. By your gracious gospel power, work on me yet again and make me sharp. Amen.