“A young man approached the
foreman of a logging crew and asked for a job. “That depends,” replied the
foreman. “Let’s see you fell this tree.” The young man stepped forward, and
skilfully felled a great tree. Impressed, the foreman exclaimed, “You can start
Monday.” Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday rolled by — and Thursday
afternoon the foreman approached the young man and said, “You can pick up your
paycheck on the way out today.” Startled, the young man replied, “I thought you
paid on Friday.” “Normally we do,” said the foreman. “But we’re letting you go
today because you’ve fallen behind. Our daily felling charts show that you’ve
dropped from first place on Monday to last place today.” “But I’m a hard
worker,” the young man objected. “I arrive first, leave last, and even have
worked through my coffee breaks!” The foreman, sensing the young man’s
integrity, thought for a minute and then asked, “Have you been sharpening your
axe?” The young man replied, “No sir, I’ve been working too hard to take time for
that!””*
Have you sharpened the tools in
your spiritual growth toolbox lately? We
are called to grow as children of God (Ephesians 4:15; 2 Peter 3:18) but it is
so easy to get complacent, especially as the tools we used previously to grow
become dull. Perhaps it was time spent
in God’s Word that proved to be so effective in fueling growth in your early
years as a disciple of Jesus. But for one reason or another (i.e. neglect or
indifference) that particular tool has lost its edge. Or maybe it was being with brothers and
sisters in Christ in times of Bible study, worship, and fellowship that
prompted the greatest movement toward maturity for you. But, over time, being with your spiritual
family became less of a priority, effectively blunting whatever benefit you
once enjoyed.
Maybe it’s time to sharpen the
tools we use to grow spiritually.
Spiritual growth is a never-ending task. Sharp tools make the job
easier.
God loves you!
Mike
*http://storiesforpreaching.com/category/sermonillustrations/training
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