Once upon a time there was a very strong woodcutter who asked for a job from a timber merchant, and he got it. The pay was really good and so were the working conditions. For that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his best. His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to work. The first day, the woodcutter brought down 18 trees! “Congratulations,” the boss said. “Carry on that way!”. Very motivated with the boss’s words, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he could only bring 15 trees.
The third day he tried even harder but could bring 10 trees only. Day after day he was bringing less and less trees. “I must be losing my strength”, the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on. “When was the last time you sharpened your axe?” the boss asked. “Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut more trees for you.
Is your life like that woodcutter?
So busy that you don’t take time to “sharpen your axe”?
In today’s world, it seems that everyone is busier than ever, but less happy than ever. Why is that? Could it be that we have forgotten how to stay sharp? If we don’t take time to “sharpen our axe”, then we will all become dull and lose our effectiveness. There’s nothing wrong with activity and hard work. But it doesn’t mean that we get so busy that we neglect the truly important things in life, like, spending time with those you love, taking time to read and learn, to stop and smell the roses so to speak, to exercise our bodies and minds, to care for personal life, and of course most importantly….to connect with your Lord and Savior!
You hear me challenge you over and over again to spend time with the Lord. Quiet, focused, alone time with your Lord and Savior. Jesus did that often!
Mark 1:35-39… Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Jesus went to a solitary place…all alone. He prayed. He sought His father’s directions, and then He accomplished His Father’s will….to go to all people in all of the towns. If He had not prayed, He would not have known it was time to move on.
If it was important for Jesus to do this, I figure that I should as well! I spend time with the Lord throughout the day…but first thing in the morning works best for me. Quiet, alone, and focused. Time to thank the Lord for His many blessings, confess my sinfulness and seek His transformation in my life, to pray for others (many of you), and to seek His plans for my day…..to be the best “Dave Timm” that I can be! This time is precious to me. It can not happen with the tv or radio on…it cannot happen in a crowd…it cannot happen if I try to control the conversation. I then do a devotion and some Bible time.
In addition to my alone time…. Most days my wife and I sharpen our axes by doing some devotions together as a couple.
SO….my challenge for you is to ask yourself “what would Jesus do” if He were me? And then do it! How??
- Find a regularly scheduled solitary place and time…all alone with Jesus.
- Use that time to pray, to talk and listen to the Lord, to thank Him.
- Seek God’s plans and directions for you. Ask for His Peace, strength, purpose, direction, and changes that you need to make….so that you can be the best “you” that you can be.
- And then make those changes needed to follow His lead in your life… accomplish all that he has equipped you to accomplish…to His Glory!
- Do it today…but not only today, make it part of your daily life.
Humor for your day:
Mr. Johnson wanted to get rid of a redwood tree in his backyard, so he put an ad in the paper asking for a lumberjack to get rid of the tree. Many lumberjacks tried to cut down the tree, but they all failed.
One day, a very skinny man with a plastic spoon knocked on Mr. Johnson’s door. “I would like to try to cut down your tree,” he said.
“With just that plastic spoon?” gasped Mr. Johnson.
“Yes,” said the skinny man. The two of them went to the backyard, and the skinny man tapped the redwood with the spoon. Immediately, the tree fell down.
Mr. Johnson was amazed. “Where did you learn to do that?” he asked.
“The Sahara Forest,” replied the skinny man.
“You mean the Sahara Desert?………….”Well, that’s what they call it now!”