"For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any double
edged sword ..... it judges the thoughts and intents of the heart"
What a difference! Getting the chain sharpened on my chain saw made cutting the firewood so easy it was incredible; it was like the saying "a hot knife through butter". And it raised the question 'Why had I waited so long to get it sharpened?'.
The process of a chain getting dull is something that can happen so gradually that you lose track of the fact that it's taking more and more pressure, more and more work to get the job accomplished. What was once easy and smooth becomes, over time, tedious and grueling, a struggle and a chore. And the sad part is that as you begin to find cutting wood increasingly difficult, as the level of frustration rises with each log you try to cut, you miss what should be obvious, the chain has gotten dull and needs to be sharpened.
Like a chain, or a knife, we can get dull in our spiritual senses and find our Christian walk to be wearisome and unfulfilling. And in the same way as the chain, it almost always happens over a period of time where we wake up one day, realize something is missing but fail to understand how we got there. We don't make the connection between being too busy and not having time for devotions with the fact that we've lost our passion and desire for the Lord. We don't make the connection between battles we've been fighting and having lost our spiritual strength. We can be a little slow to put two and two together, often not realizing the effect and the toll taken on our spiritual lives by disappiointment and discouragement, by loneliness and heartbreak until we wake up one day and don't like the place we're in.
With the chain saw, certain types of wood dull the chain faster than others; oak and hickory, because of their density, are the worst culprits. It is no different for us. Certain experiences and problems affect us more than others. Family struggles, financial difficulties and health issues can leave us in need of a refreshing from the Lord. While we could make a long list of life experiences that cause us to go dull, the key is being on guard for it so we are quick to sharpen the sword of our spirits.
So the question is how do we stay sharp. We make sure we rest after facing battles, we spend time in the Word to receive fresh vision and direction, and we spend time with friends who can encourage and strengthen us. Just as cutting wood is so much more fun with a sharpened chain, the Christian life can be exciting, meaningful, and fulfilling if we will only remember to stay sharp.
God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church
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