Sharpen Your Axe

Sharpen Your Axe

Ecclesiastes 10:9-10

He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them. If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.

Reading the old testament can be somewhat tedious for many of us. There is so much of it that seems to be written as either a specific recording of chronology or a prophetic word to the time, that it’s easy to miss the applications to present day and timeless truths. I came across this verse in Ecclesiastes a couple of weeks ago and was struck how there is applicable wisdom imbedded throughout scripture.

When I was in college, one of the jobs I had was in high end cutlery sales. In fact, the second business I ever started was right out of college when I ran a district office for this company as an independent contractor. (been on this road a long time) One of the selling points we always used on a presentation was “do you know which is safer – a sharp or dull knife?”. The answer we got back was usually “dull”, but the truth is that while we have all been cut by an unexpectedly sharp knife, they are statistically safer. The reason is they take less effort to cut with. Using less pressure makes folks less likely to slip and have a severe accident. Sharpening you knife is safe and smart.

The same thing applies to most tools; saws, lawnmowers, drills, chisels and Axes. When we just go to work without checking the sharpness of our tools, we are likely to be at best ineffective and at worst hurt ourselves or others.

What are the tools you use in your business, life and faith? What are you doing to improve those tools? Many of us show up to work, family or prayer with the same tools every day. Experience can make us sharper, but there’s a reasonable argument to be made that it can dull us as well. If we keep doing the same thing every day, knocking our heads against the same wall, hitting the same ceiling – are we sure we haven’t beaten our axe into a hammer? You can hammer your way through a log, but it takes a lot more effort than a sharp axe and “You could put your eye out!” (just like a Red Rider bb- gun)

The verse speaks to a couple of clear truths. First – you can’t sharpen an axe while you’re swinging it. We have to stop working on the log or quarry, long enough to make the axe sharp. What does that mean for you? Are you taking time to hone your knowledge, skill and strength to bring to the job at hand? I am talking about your business and functions within your job, and I’m also talking about your family life and faith – not necessarily in that order. IN fact, I’d propose that if you sharpen you axe for your relationship with God and get that improving first, the other two processes of improvement will be more effective.

Second, the answer to success is almost never to “Just work harder” at anything. The odds are that you are putting enough effort to be as successful as you want to be, it just isn’t the right effort. Anyone who has or is suffering through a strained marriage knows it isn’t easier than a great one. They generally just fall into the trap of putting in survival effort, instead of improvement effort. Sharpen you axe brother! Man up and start being a better husband for your wife! Zig Ziglar used to say, “ you don’t pay the price for a good marriage – you reap the rewards of a good marriage! You pay the price for a bad one”

Finally, Solomon assures us that “Wisdom has the advantage of giving us success”. That sounds pretty good, so where should we seek wisdom? Here are several sources that work.

1) Prayer/Scripture – Gods word and seeking His guidance to reveal wisdom through prayer go hand in glove. He is faithful and as he granted Solomon wisdom, he doesn’t withhold it from those who seek it for the right purposes/

2) Introspection – Experience can be a great source of wisdom, but you have to learn the RIGHT lessons. I can’t tell you how many folks repeat the same self perpetuated problems because they don’t take a step back and ask “what really caused that”.

3) Wise Counsel – Other folks have had similar challenges to you and they’ve either succeeded or failed. Either of these results can be valuable to your decision making process.

4) Books/Electronic Media – Never stop learning and Re – Learning. Most of us have probably learned previously what we need to do, but we forget or get lazy. Re-energize yourself, remind yourself and apply other’s knowledge.

5) Group/Class/Seminar – learning in a community can be extremely powerful and supportive. When we are growing together it’s easy to remind each other, point out blind spots, challenge and encourage.

So - Sharpen your axe or “you’ll put your eye out”!

IF you’d like to know how Leaven Exchange provides platforms for all of this “axe sharpening”, call or email anytime. Focusing on developing you as your best asset is what we help our members do. That said, regardless of your position relative to Leaven Exchange, please don’t ignore this critical message. You were meant to Grow through life, not Go through life. Get to growin’!

Blessings,

John Sloan