A blunt axe moves the energy from the blade to the axeman’s muscles. A sharp cutting edge moves it back! (Ecclesiastes 10:10)
“Iron sharpens iron: so a man the countenance of his friend. (Proverbs 27:17) Sparks will fly between friends at times, but in the process each sharpens the other.
Wisdom tells us we need to sharpen up!
SEVEN THINGS THAT CAN LOSE THEIR CUTTING EDGE:
1. Prayer Life. Monotonous repetition? An unchanging note? *Press closer to God. *Cultivate a daily devotional fellowship with the Lord Jesus.
2. Witness for Jesus. In the mouth but not in the heart? No longer keen to share your faith? *Say less about Jesus; instead, let Him speak through you to others. *Add a keen prophetic edge to your witness.
3. Spirituality. Replaced by carnality? Discernment blunt? *Separate daily, worldly events from vital, eternal issues. *Quit watching TV current affairs shows that stir you emotionally. *Mix with believers who are naturally spiritual.
4. Spiritual Gifts. Replaced by natural talents? *Quit cruising in your comfort zone! *Take scary faith steps that put you “over the line” (i.e., in God’s hands)!
5. Spontaneous Joy. Has humour become a substitute? Jokes just don’t “cut it”. Joy is an expression of the spirit! *When the spirit rejoices in God, the soul magnifies the Lord! (Luke 1:46) *New spiritual experiences produce spontaneous joy! *Think on Isaiah 12:3, and the verses that precede it.
6. Superficiality. The width/depth ratio is wrong. *God’s fountain flows “deep AND wide”! *Stop “spreading yourself thin” and get into “the deep things of God”. (1 Corinthians 2:10) Invisible, inaudible and inconceivable, they can only be revealed by the Spirit of God. (But keep depth and width in balance.)
7. Enthusiasm. Burns a lot of human energy but produces very little. A campfire looks great, but it is the least efficient use of flame because its heat is not directed. Even in a fireplace, most of the heat goes up the chimney. *Brood on God’s goodness to you. *Meditate on Christ’s sufferings for you. *Think on Psalm 45:1 and Psalm 39:2,3. *Light a slow combustion fire and let it burn deep in your bones. (Jeremiah 20:9) *Enclose the fire until you need its red-hot coals to burst into a fresh flame!
According to Ecclesiastes 10:10, we have a choice: we can use more energy or sharpen our cutting edge. Men and women of faith know that preparation is all-important!